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18-inch Deadlift World Record Progression
The progression of the elevated 18-inch deadlift world record. Early dated history is sparse before a modern jump.
6 record-setting marks
+111.5 kg over the era
Early history sparse
Current Record Holder
537.5 kg
Progression Chart
Biggest Single Jump
+52.5 kg
Ernie Hackett
(1982)
to 478.5 kg
Longest-Standing Record
37
years
535 kg
Tom Magee
1983 - 2020
Record Timeline
6 records| Year | Record | Athlete | Improvement | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 426 kg |
Bill Kazmaier
|
First record | 1981 World's Strongest Man |
| 1982 | 478.5 kg |
Ernie Hackett
|
+52.5 kg | 1982 World's Strongest Man |
| 1983 | 495 kg |
John Gamble
|
+16.5 kg | 1983 World's Strongest Man |
| 1983 | 525 kg |
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
|
+30 kg | 1983 World's Strongest Man |
| 1983 | 535 kg |
Tom Magee
|
+10 kg | 1983 World's Strongest Man |
| 2020 | 537.5 kg |
Oleksii Novikov
|
+2.5 kg | 2020 WSM Final |
Other Record Progressions
About This Record Progression
This page tracks the verified world-record progression for the 18-inch deadlift. Every mark in the timeline beat the previous best in official competition, so the line shows a true running maximum rather than a list of every result.
Reading the Timeline
- Improvement: how much each new record exceeded the previous best, showing the pace of progression
- Biggest Single Jump: the largest one-step improvement, a watershed moment for the event
- Longest-Standing Record: the mark that proved hardest to beat, a ceiling that took years to surpass
Data Sources
Records are compiled from verified competition results across World's Strongest Man, the Arnold Strongman Classic, Giants Live, and major federations. Only sanctioned competition performances are included. Exhibition and gym lifts are excluded.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is built as a running maximum from verified competition results. Each entry in the timeline beat the previous best mark in official competition. Performances that did not exceed the standing record are not shown, which keeps the line clean rather than listing every result.
It shows how much each new record exceeded the one before it. The first mark in the timeline is labelled "First record" because there is no earlier value to compare it against.
We only publish a progression when the running-max line can be traced through documented competition results. When the history cannot be verified, we do not publish a line rather than guess.