Kosei Yokoyama proved to be one of the main figures at the 2024 IPF World Classic & Equipped Bench Press Championships, which are taking place from May 21st to June 1st in Texas, USA. He competed in the 74-kilogram weight class, where he managed to lock out a 225.5-kilogram (497.1-pound) Bench Press for a new IPF World Record.
Kosei Yokoyama took part in the classic / raw division of the competition, meaning that he was only allowed to use a lifting belt and wrist wraps for all of his attempts. He opened up with a bench press of 210 kilograms (463 pounds), which went up with ease.
So, Kosei Yokoyama then made a reasonable jump to 217.5 kilograms (479.5 pounds) for his second attempt, which once again turned out to be a fast and smooth lift. Moreover, this attempt secured Kosei the win in his weight class, as none of his rivals were able to lift as much weight.
So, with a gold medal secured, Kosei Yokoyama allowed himself to take a shot at breaking the World Record. In order to do so, he had to lift 225.5 kilograms (497.1 pounds), which proved to be a bit more of a challenge for him. Kosei still managed to grind it out and received two out of three white lights from the judges, thus officially setting a new U74KG IPF World Record.
*The former U74KG IPF Bench Press World Record was held by Daiki Kodama, who lifted 225-kg (496-lb) at the 2019 IPF World Bench Press Championships. The record stood for five years, adding to the significance of Kosei’s performance.
Watch Kosei Yokoyama’s lift here:
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Kosei Yokoyama weighed in at 70.80 kilograms (156 pounds) for his appearance, which is significantly below the upper limit of the 74-kilogram weight class. That is a mind-blowing ratio that not many powerlifters have been able to achieve. Moreover, his record-breaking lift turned out to be 3.18x his bodyweight, which is a mind-blowing ratio for a bench press.
Kosei Yokoyama made appearances in two International sanctioned powerlifting appearances prior to his most recent one at the World Championships. The first of those came at the 2022 AsianPF Asian Classic & Equipped Bench Press Championships. He claimed the win with ease and made his name known in the entire community. Kosei then returned to the competition in 2023 and successfully defended his titles.
After putting up great performances at Asian Championships, Kosei Yokoyama finally got the chance to make his debut on the International stage at the aforementioned 2024 IPF World Bench Press Championships. He quickly became a fan favorite, earning the nickname ‘Giant Killer’ due to the fact that he defeated the defending champion Ivan Chuprynko and broke the record of the legendary Daiki Kodama.
Kosei Yokoyama’s Powerlifting History
Personal Bests
| Equip | Squat | Bench | Deadlift | Total | Dots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw | 500.4 | 500.4 | 167.42 |
Competition Results
| Place | Fed | Date | Competition | Division | Total | Dots | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AsianPF | 2022-09-07 | Asian Classic & Equipped Bench Press Championships | Open | 500.4 | 167.42 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Kosei Yokoyama will most likely remain dominant in the 74-kilogram weight class for a long time to come, since he still has the ability to gain quite a few pounds. Moreover, he became the Bench Press IPF World Champion in his first ever appearance at the competition. So, there is no doubt that Kosei will be able to push the records even further with more experience.
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