Zuzanna Kula Equipped Bench World Record - Image credit @theipf & @kulaabulaa Instagram
Zuzanna Kula was one of the stars of the 2024 EPF European Equipped Powerlifting Championships, which is taking place from May 7-12, in Hamm, Luxembourg. She competed in the 57-kilogram weight class, with the peak of her appearance coming in the bench press event. Zuzanna managed to lift 166 kilograms (366 pounds) for a new U57KG IPF Equipped Bench Press World Record.
Zuzanna Kula’s chase for the World Record began with an opening attempt of 161.5 kilograms (356 pounds). This weight was already over the former world record, but Zuzanna did not start off well, seeing that she failed the lift. However, she used the same weight for her second attempt, where she managed to lock it out and set a new record.
Although it was quite impressive already, Zuzanna Kula knew that she was able to push the bar even higher. So, she decided to take a shot at bench pressing 166 kilograms (366 pounds) on her final attempt. Being in the equipped division, Zuzanna was allowed to use a single-ply bench shirt, with which she managed to successfully perform the final attempt as well. So, she managed to officially set a 166-kilogram (366-pound) IPF World Record.
*Zuzanna Kula held the old IPF World Record of 161 kilograms (354.9 pounds) as well, having set it at the 2024 IPF Arnold Sports Festival UK.
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Zuzanna Kula had an undesirable start to the competition, missing two out of her three squat attempts at a weight that she has done in the past. Luckily, she managed to turn it around and set a new bench press World Record, as well as competition PRs in the deadlift and Total.
In fact, after her final deadlift, Zuzanna Kula managed to break the U57KG EPF European Total Record. However, shortly after, Alessandra Cernigliaro managed to break that record by an additional two kilograms, stripping Zuzanna of the achievement. Moreover, due to this, Zuzanna finished in second place at the 2024 EPF European Equipped Powerlifting Championships.
Squat
205 kilograms (451.9 pounds)
Unsuccessful — 215 kilograms (474 pounds)
Unsuccessful — 215 kilograms (474 pounds)
Bench Press
Unsuccessful — 161.5 kilograms (356 pounds)
161.5 kilograms (356 pounds)
166 kilograms (366 pounds) — U57KG IPF Equipped World Record
Deadlifts
170 kilograms (374.8 pounds)
177.5 kilograms (391.3 pounds)
182.5 kilograms (402.3 pounds) — Competition PR
Total — 553.5 kilograms (1,220.3 pounds) — Competition PR
Data Source: Open Powerlifting. Last Updated: August 17, 2023
Zuzanna Kula began competing back in 2018, and has since been extremely active in powerlifting. She has made 44 sanctioned powerlifting appearances and won 22 of them. Those include multiple IPF World and EPF European championships in both the Junior and Open age classes.
It is important to note that Zuzanna Kula underwent major surgery to treat her ACL tear in 2023. So, her missed lifts during the squat event might be attributed to this, as she might not have fully recovered yet. So, there is still plenty to come for the young Zuzanna.
If you have questions or need clarifications, please leave a comment below, and Vedad will respond promptly.
Vedad is a journalist specializing in strength sports, with three years of experience covering powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, strongman, armwrestling and bodybuilding. He is a lifelong fitness enthusiast, passionate about all aspects of strength training. Vedad's in-depth knowledge of training methodologies and dedication to constant research fuel his insightful and engaging reporting. He works hard to deliver accurate content while continuously seeking to improve his craft.
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