Elliott Sykes is just 18-years-old but is recognized as arguably the greatest powerlifting prospect in the world. His abilities exceed what was considered possible for an athlete of his age, which makes his journey even more exciting. Most recently, Elliott appeared at the 2025 AMP Winter Classic, which took place on January 18th in Kenmore. There Elliott managed to squat 305 kilograms (672.4 pounds) raw, setting a new Unofficial World Record in the U74KG Sub-Junior weight class.
Elliott Sykes did not feel too optimistic while warming up for the squat session, but that was not seen in his performance. He crushed his opener of 275 kilograms (606.3 pounds) and did the same with his second attempt of 292.5 kilograms (644.9 pounds). While that was already impressive, Elliott wanted to become the first athlete in his division to exceed the 300-kilogram (661.4-pound) milestone.
In turn, Elliott Sykes made a brave decision to load 305 kilograms (672.4 pounds) for his final squat attempt. He then came out with a lifting belt and knee sleeves, ready to set a new standard. Elliott looked in control of the bar during the descent but hit a sticking point when he tried to get up. However, he persevered and managed to push through, successfully completing the historic lift and walking away satisfied.
*Elliott Sykes also holds the U74KG official Raw Squat Sub-Junior World Record of 295.5-kg (651.5-lb). He set the record at the 2024 IPF World Junior and Sub-Juniors Powerlifting Championships.
Watch the lift here:
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Elliott Sykes is viewed as perhaps the only man who could rival Austin Perkins in the 74-kilogram weight class. Austin is easily one of the pound-for-pound strongest powerlifters currently. However, Sykes is now just 13 kilograms (28.7 pounds) off Austin’s best official squat. So, with some more training, Elliott could be the one to dethrone the king of the U74KG division.
Although Elliott Sykes competes in a drug-tested federation in the form of the IPF, his recent squat is the heaviest ever performed by a U19-YO powerlifter in the 75-kilogram weight class across all federations. Even when he is compared to the athletes from the Junior division (19-23 years old), Elliott still remains on the top of the leaderboards. In turn, it is clear that the 18-year-old prodigy is on course to become the open world champion in a few years.
Elliott Sykes now has 10 sanctioned powerlifting appearances to his name. Moreover, he maintains a perfect win streak, having claimed gold in all ten contests. He has already set countless official and unofficial World Records, which is what made him recognizable in the powerlifting community.
Elliott Sykes’ Competition PRs
- Squat: 305 kilograms (672.4 pounds) – [2025 AMP Winter Classic]
- Bench Press: 175 kilograms (385.8 pounds) – [2025 AMP Winter Classic]
- Deadlift: 300 kilograms (661.4 pounds) – [2024 IPF World Junior and Sub-Juniors Powerlifting Championships]
- Total: 766 kilograms (1,688.7 pounds) – [2024 IPF World Junior and Sub-Juniors Powerlifting Championships]
Elliott Sykes’ Powerlifting History
Personal Bests
| Equip | Squat | Bench | Deadlift | Total | Dots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw | 573.2 | 341.7 | 573.2 | 1515.7 | 511.9 |
Competition Results
| Place | Fed | Date | Competition | Division | Total | Dots | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1 | USAPL | 2022-11-05 | Ataraxis Open | MR-O | 1515.7 | 511.9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1 | USAPL | 2022-11-05 | Ataraxis Open | MR-T2 | 1515.7 | 511.9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1 | USAPL | 2022-03-23 | Teen Nationals | MR-T1 | 1317.3 | 468.37 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1 | USAPL | 2022-02-19 | Iowa State Open | MR-T | 1295.2 | 460.84 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1 | USAPL | 2021-09-12 | September Smash | MR-T | 1102.3 | 407.38 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Elliott Sykes has a big season in front of him, and a 305-kilogram (672.4-pound) squat is certainly a good start. He has been struggling with his deadlifts due to his grip, but he has a plan on how to improve. So, Elliott will make sure to add some more success to his resume and fully utilize his final year in the Sub-Junior division.
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