Iida Noriko is truly one of the greatest phenoms in powerlifting and quite a unique character in the community. Namely, Noriko is 90 years old but is still very active on the competition floor. She recently appeared at the 2026 Japan Bench Press Championships, which took place on January 16-18 in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture. She appeared as a 57-kilogram athlete and achieved an incredible 50.5-kilogram (111.3-pound) Raw Bench Press.
The competition featured only the bench press event and Iida Noriko opened up with a 47.5-kilogram (104.7-pound) press. Following a very smooth first attempt, Noriko decided to add 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds) to the bar for her second appearance on the lifting platform. As a result, she ended up with another successful and impressive feat of strength under her belt.
With one attempt left, Iida Noriko decided to push herself to 50.5 kilograms (111.3 pounds). Her technique was nothing short of incredible, as she made sure to slowly lower the barbell to her chest before proceeding to press it out at roughly the same speed. Interestingly, the lift looked very easy for Noriko.
Iida Noriko’s 50.5-kilogram (111.3-pound) bench press marked a new Japanese record in the Masters 5 age class. On the other hand, it is just 5 kilograms (11 pounds) short of the IPF World Record in the Masters 4 (70+ years old) age class.
Watch Iida Noriko’s lift here:
Iida Noriko’s sports journey is simply incredible, as she was initially into running. However, like in powerlifting, Noriko pushed herself to the extremes. Specifically, she took on some of the toughest races on earth, including the ‘Marathon des Sables’, which is an ultramarathon held in Morocco. It tasks athletes with running over 250 kilometers (156 miles) across the Sahara Desert and is often referred to as one of the toughest foot races on earth. Noriko also competed in other races.
Iida Noriko’s transition to powerlifting was a result of an injury she suffered while running. She wanted to remain active but was unable to pursue her passion for endurance races anymore. So, she decided to see how she feels under the barbell. Her talent was immediately clear, and her hard work helped her climb up the rankings with exceptional speed.
Iida Noriko has appeared in a total of eight international sanctioned powerlifting competitions so far. Those include three IPF World Bench Press Championships and three AsianPF Asian/Pacific/African Championships. Noriko walked away with three gold medals from the IPF Bench Press World Championships, winning the raw Masters 4 division in 2023, as well as the raw and equipped Masters 4 divisions in 2024.
Related: 74-YO Rudy Kadlub Scores a 217.5-kg (479.6-lb) Squat Unofficial Masters IPL World Record
Iida Noriko proved that age is just a number, as she racked up some impressive achievements in running and powerlifting after turning 70 years old. Moreover, her most recent appearance at the 2026 Japanese Bench Press Championships shows that she is still chasing improvements, having set a new national record in her division.
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