Powerlifters Take Over Convention Centre With Canadian Championships
By Robert Thomas
Hundreds of powerlifters and their fans from across Canada will be deadlifting weights January 23rd to March 1st as the Canadian Powerlifting Union National Championships take over the Moose Jaw Exhibition’s Convention Centre (250nThatcher DriveEast).
The championships are set to bring in close to 600 competitors ranging in age from 11 years old to athletes in their seventies and even eighties in multiple weight categories.
“It’s a huge age range of athletes,” joint organizer Rhaea Stinn told MJ Independent.
Five local athletes will be part of the 81 member team from Saskatchewan.
Stinn said hosting the Nationals is good for the sport locally as it increases local interest and participation.
Last year the local club hosted the Western Canadian Championships.
An athlete competing in the Western Canadian Championships last year in Moose Jaw - MJ Independent file photo
In order to qualify to compete at Nationals athletes must hit a set standard over a series events.
“Qualifying for Nationals is sort of a prestigious thing because less people are able to hit that qualifying thing.”
“We had a lot of athletes pushing to make that total. So I think it helped grow the sport in Saskatchewan,” Stinn said.
Competitors are divided up based upon age and weight classifications with the best lifts being added up to arrive at the final score.
There will be teams from every province in the country.
Stinn said the provinces to watch with the top teams are Ontario and Quebec.
A team award is given out at the end of the Championships. The team award is given out based upon the average results and body weight of all of a provinces’ athletes that is put into a formula to find a winner. Last year’s winner was Quebec.
“The best team award is an average of all those points from everybody on your team…I would think Quebec and Ontario will be the team probably nominated for that.”
“If you have a strong enough team it definitely could go to a smaller province. It’s not just sheer how many athletes you have here,” she said.
Stinn said although Quebec and Ontario are strong the national team award could potentially be won by any province.
Last March the Western Canadian Championships attracted 400 athletes while the Canadian Championships will see 600 athletes in Moose Jaw.
Asked about what she thought about athletes competing in their eighties she said it was inspirational.
“I love seeing the older athletes compete. It truly shows it’s a sport for any age. We can help promote that lifelong physical activity. It’s really inspirational to watch the athletes in their sixties, seventies and eighties up there competing. A lot of them are moving some pretty significant weights,” Stinn said.
She said the sport is known for being very supportive between athletes.
“That’s the unique thing about our National Championships it brings everybody together from all ages and all weight classes. Everybody is able to support one another, and cheer on their fellow competitors,” Stinn said.
Admission to the event is by donation only. The event is leaving it up to the spectator to pay whatever they feel reasonable to attend, and if you don’t leave a donation, you can still attend.
“We just want people to come and experience the sport and see what it’s all about.”
Stinn said she and all the competitors are very happy with the change to mild weather.
“We were getting some panicked emails from people not knowing how people are going to survive. But we are trying to reassure them that the forecast said it’s going to warm up,” she said.
The change in the weather does not have effect on the competition as athletes have more than enough time to warm up inside the venue.
“I think most athletes will be able to adapt to that and get enough warmups in before getting out on the platform. The will be OK in a colder climate.”
The event kicks off today (February 23rd) at 2 pm and runs until 8 pm.
For more information check out the Championships website by clicking here.
Because the event operates at varying times make sure you check out the schedule by clicking here.