Karlina Tongotea Squat Total World Record - Image credit @SBD Apparel YouTube & @karlina23 Instagram
New Zealand’s Karlina Tongotea impressed everyone at the 2024 IPF Sheffield Powerlifting Championships on February 10th, having set two new IPF World Records during her appearance. Her records came in the raw squat and raw total events while competing in the 76-kilogram weight class.
Squat World Record
Karlina Tongotea took a strategic approach to the squat attempt, opening up at 217.5 kilograms (479.5 pounds), since it was a weight that she has comfortably lifted in the past as well. Then, Tongotea immediately went for the World Record on her second attempt, loading 226 kilograms (498.2 pounds) on the bar.
Luckily, that was not needed, as her second attempt went up easily as well. So, for her third and final attempt, Karlina Tongotea decided to aim even higher, and decided to take 230.5 kilograms (508.1 pounds) for a ride. This proved to be very close to her limit, but Karlina still managed to push through and make it the IPF World Record.
217.5 kilograms (479.5 pounds)
226 kilograms (498.2 pounds)
230.5 kilograms (508.1 pounds) — U76KG IPF World Record & Competition PR
Level Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
Please wait...
You're In! Let's Crush Your Fitness Goals Together
Expect expert-backed workouts, nutrition advice, the latest in strength sports, and a whole lot of motivation heading your way.
Following her mind-blowing performance on the squats, everyone wondered if Karlina Tongotea had wasted a lot of energy and if that would impact the remainder of her performance. However, it was clear that Karlina was still fresh as soon as she crushed the 120-kilogram (265.5-pound) press.
Over the next two bench press attempts, Karlina Tongotea managed to add another 7.5 kilograms (16.5 pounds) to the barbell, even managing to improve her competition PR.
120 kilograms (265.5 pounds)
125 kilograms (275.5 pounds)
127.5 kilograms (281.1 pounds) — Competition PR
Deadlift
Due to her incredible performance on the squat and bench press, Karlina Tongotea was able to set the U76KG IPF Total World Record on her first deadlift attempt. Then, she improved it by another 10 kilograms (22 pounds) with the attempts that she had remaining.
Karlina Tongotea’s only unsuccessful attempt at the 2024 IPF Sheffield came during the deadlifts. She managed to pull and lock out 252.5 kilograms (556.7 pounds) on her second attempt, but the barbell slipped from her hands.
The rules state that the athlete has to hold the barbell back until it is lowered back down to the floor. So, the judges invalidated Karlina’s attempt.
242.5 kilograms (534.6 pounds)
Unsuccessful — 252.5 kilograms (556.6 pounds)
252.5 kilograms (556.6 pounds)
Total — 610.5 kilograms (1,345.9 pounds) — U76KG IPF World Record & Competition PR
*Karlina Tongotea held the previous U76KG IPF Total World Record of 600-kg (1,322.8-lb), which she set at the 2022 CommonwealthPF Commonwealth Championships.
Data Source: Open Powerlifting. Last Updated: August 17, 2023
There are some great powerlifters in the 76KG weight class, but with her newfound improvement, Karlina Tongotea is undoubtedly the best one. So, her next goal will most likely be to win her division at the 2024 IPF World Championships as well.
Overall, Karlina Tongotea has 18 sanctioned powerlifting appearances to her name. She also won 13 of those competitions, claiming numerous World Records along the way. There is no doubt that Karlina will further improve these stats in the future, as well as set some more records.
If you have questions or need clarifications, please leave a comment below, and Vedad will respond promptly.
Vedad is a journalist specializing in strength sports, with three years of experience covering powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, strongman, armwrestling and bodybuilding. He is a lifelong fitness enthusiast, passionate about all aspects of strength training. Vedad's in-depth knowledge of training methodologies and dedication to constant research fuel his insightful and engaging reporting. He works hard to deliver accurate content while continuously seeking to improve his craft.
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
