Members of the New Zealand GPC powerlifting squad
Te Awamutu athlete Mike Smith and the New Zealand GPC powerlifting squad have returned from the world championships in Brazil with 17 gold medals and nine world records.
The Balneário Camboriú-based event had 1000 competitors and all members of the team placed on the podium. Balneário Camboriú is a coastal city of 145,000 people in southern Brazil.
Members of the New Zealand GPC powerlifting squad, from left, Tracey Karam, Xavier Karam, Mike Smith, Chara Reti, Nigel Cordes, Cat Seeney, Jarred Seeney and Christine Henwood.
GPC New Zealand president and Trainstation coach Smith said it was like lifting in the Brazilian Colosseum.
“It’s normally in Slovakia and next year it’s in Poland. Being in sunny Brazil this year, it was attractive to us all,” Smith said.
“The Brazilians were very passionate. Some of their powerlifters were treated like God.
“At one stage the whole crowd erupted. There was a guy warming up, I didn’t even know who he was. I looked him up and he’s got four million fans on Instagram. He’s like a rock star there.”
Smith was one of 11 Kiwi competitors, including other Waipā powerlifters Tracey Karam, Xavier Karam and Chara Reti (Te Awamutu).
Tracey put in a gold medal performance, as did Reti in the soft-equipped bench press, also setting a bench press world record. Xavier won a silver in the deadlift and silver overall in the deadlift.
“I’m proud of the team. Tracey did two squats, one world record and a gold,” Smith said. “That was outstanding. She led the way, it was awesome.”
Smith came away with two gold medals in what has been a competitive year.
“I hadn’t done any of research on where I was in my category. So, to come away with gold was pretty cool,” Smith said.
“It was an amazing result for the kiwis. We definitely got noticed. Our team spirit was amazing.
“We took the opportunities to look professional and work well together as a team.”
Hamilton-based Cat and Jarred Seeney, who have strong Waipā connections, also competed admirably.
“Cat was faultless. She hit her three from three, gaining gold in the deadlift and setting a new world record,” Smith said.
“Jarred did a crazy weight cut. He was competing on two different days. It was a 24-hour weigh in.
“He weighed in for deadlift under 90kg then he wanted to weigh in the next day for the strict curl, under 82.5kg. He achieved that.
“In deadlift he got a gold. In strict curl he got gold and a world record. You’ve got to be strategic for that as strict curl goes up in increments.”
Nigel Cordes joined the New Zealand team after qualifying in Canada where he moved from Hamilton about seven years ago.
“He had his heart set on taking the all-time New Zealand bench press record and he smashed it. He also got gold in bench press.”
Christine Henwood, 66, has been a global champion many times and won her class overall as well as several golds and world records,” Smith said.
Smith hopes to bring the competition to New Zealand one day.
Members of the New Zealand GPC powerlifting squad, from left, Tracey Karam, Xavier Karam, Mike Smith, Chara Reti, Nigel Cordes, Cat Seeney, Jarred Seeney and Christine Henwood.
