Karen Thrige Andersen is fresh out of the Junior age category, but has already made her presence felt in the Open division. She did so at the 2024 European Equipped Powerlifting Championships, which took place on May 7-12 in Hamm, Luxembourg. Andersen competed in the 84-kilogram weight class, where she also managed to set a new 279-kilogram (615.1-pound) Equipped Squat IPF World Record.
Interestingly, Karen Thrige Andersen had to battle for the World Record against the athlete who held it previously, Daria Rusanenko. The old record stood at 278 kilograms (612.9 pounds), which Daria set at the 2023 IPF World Open Equipped Powerlifting Championships.
Daria was also the first athlete to improve the record at the 2024 EPF European Equipped Championships, securing 278.5 kilograms (614 pounds) on her second attempt. However, her dream was crushed by Karen Thrige Andersen, who later managed to squat 279 kilograms (615.1 pounds) on her second attempt as well. Both women failed their final attempts. So, the record was officially transferred into Karen’s possession.
Karen Thrige Andersen used a single-ply squat suit, knee wraps, a lifting belt, and wrist wraps for her record-breaking squat. Her attempt looked relatively smooth, only slowing down a bit inches before the lockout. So, Karen clearly could have added a few more pounds to the bar.
Watch the lift here:
Karen Thrige Andersen’s Full Performance
Karen Thrige Andersen had a very successful competition, having failed only two attempts overall, placed 4th at the 2024 European Equipped Championships, and walked away with a Squat IPF World Record. However, there is definitely room for improvement, especially in the bench press event, which set her back tremendously. She rivaled everyone on the squat and deadlift, but lifted 45 – 90 kilograms (99 – 198.4 pounds) less than her main rivals on the bench press.
Squat
- 265 kilograms (584.2 pounds)
- 279 kilograms (615.1 pounds) — U84KG IPF Equipped World Record
- Unsuccessful — 285.5 kilograms (629.4 pounds)
Bench Press
- Unsuccessful — 105 kilograms (231.5 pounds)
- 105 kilograms (231.5 pounds)
- 110 kilograms (242.5 pounds)
Deadlift
- 185 kilograms (407.9 pounds)
- 200 kilograms (440.9 pounds)
- 212.5 kilograms (468.5 pounds)
Total — 601.5 kilograms (1,326.1 pounds)
Watch all the lifts here:
Karen Thrige Andersen’s Powerlifting History
Karen Thrige Andersen's Powerlifting History
Personal Bests
| Equip | Squat | Bench | Deadlift | Total | Dots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-ply | 630.5 | 270.1 | 474.0 | 1,344.8 | 562.25 |
Competition Results
| Details | Place | Fed | Date | Competition | Division | Total | Dots | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 2 | EPF | Apr 30, 2026 | European Equipped Powerlifting Championships | Open | 1,336.0 | 559.04 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 3 | IPF | Nov 9, 2025 | World Open Equipped Powerlifting Championships | Open | 1,344.8 | 562.25 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 2 | EPF | May 1, 2025 | European Equipped Open & Juniors Powerlifting Championship | Open | 1,329.4 | 557.97 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 7 | IPF | Nov 10, 2024 | World Open Equipped Powerlifting Championships | Open | 1,328.3 | 555.34 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 4 | EPF | May 6, 2024 | European Open Junior and Sub-Junior Equipped Powerlifting Championships | Open | 1,326.1 | 555.97 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1 | EPF | May 1, 2023 | European Equipped Powerlifting Championships | Juniors | 1,179.5 | 497.07 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Data source: OpenPowerlifting. Data through July 11, 2026.
Karen Thrige Andersen is still quite new in the International scene, as this was only her second major sanctioned powerlifting appearance. Her first one came at last year’s EPF European Equipped Champion, where she came out victorious in the Junior division.
It is currently unclear where Karen Thrige Andersen plans to compete next, but she has proven that she belongs at the most prestigious competitions in the world. Moreover, she is shaping up to be one of the best squatters in women’s powerlifting, which is an incredible achievement to say the least.
