Lifters pick up titles in new competition

There were 23 competitors who entered, from as far as afield as London and Hastings, with some entering their first-ever contest.

The competition featured the deadlift event, which is one of the most-respected lifts as hundreds of kilos can be lifted by the top performers.

The winner of the men’s overall title was Worthing’s Sam Allen, who lifted 310kg, which also secured him the over-90kg bodyweight title and saw the crowd erupt.

Mitchell Tutt was the runner-up, with Chris Williams third.

In the women’s class, the winner was Chrissy Deane, from London, who lifted a huge 150kg, which is a world class performance in women’s powerlifting.

Ashley Macey, 16, from Littlehampton, lifted 125kg and, as she has a bodyweight of only 60kg, it meant she won the women’s overall class which featured five women lifters.

The biggest battle was in the men’s under-20 class where there was a real war of weights between Worthing’s Max Hamilton and Littlehampton’s Tyler Seymour. Both lifted personal bests, but Hamilton took the title with a huge 240kg lift.

The under-25 men’s class winner was Worthing’s Joseph Houlton with 230kg, and the men’s over-50 winner was Peter Thorpe, also from Worthing, with 240kg.

The men’s over-40 top lift was recorded by Sompting’s Phil Lee, with 210kg, while Worthing’s Thomas Buschaus lited 230kg to take the under-90kg bodyweight crown.