Dunedin powerlifter Marie Soffe added four records to her
collection at the New Zealand powerlifting championships in
Christchurch at the weekend.
Soffe (50), who has been lifting weights since 2003, set
Commonwealth and Oceania records in the bench press (87.5kg),
deadlift (170kg) and total (385kg) in the masters 2 (age 50
to 59) grade in the 67.5kg class.
She also broke a New Zealand record in the squat with a lift
of 127.5kg and won the gold medal in her age group and also
in the open class.
Soffe now holds four Oceania, four Commonwealth and seven New
Zealand records.
Powerlifting is a family sport for Soffe.
Her husband, Rennie, set a Commonwealth and Oceania bench
press record with a lift of 210kg in the masters 2 grade in
the 90kg class.
He placed third in the open class and won his own age group.
The other record by an Otago lifter went to Sylvia Clarkson
who set a New Zealand record in the deadlift with 110kg in
the masters 3 (over 60) grade in the 67.5kg class.
She won the gold medal in her class.
In the heavyweight division, Steve Varga increased his
personal best total to 870kg when winning the 110kg title.
Adam Keen, in his first national championships, improved his
total by 20kg when finishing third in the open 67.5kg class
with 465kg.
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