Sun | Apr 26, 2026

Record-breaking powerlifting champs shows sport’s growth

Published:Thursday | December 22, 2022 | 1:34 AM
Powerlifter Scott Jennings (left) receives the trophy for winning the Powerlifting National Championships from National Powerlifting Association of Jamaica president, Michael Blair, at the University of Technology Gymnasium recently.
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Powerlifter Scott Jennings (left) receives the trophy for winning the Powerlifting National Championships from National Powerlifting Association of Jamaica president, Michael Blair, at the University of Technology Gymnasium recently.

THE SPORT of powerlifting in Jamaica has been showing tremendous growth as evidenced by the 21 records broken and eight new standards established during the Jamaica Powerlifting Championships at UTech recently.

Staged by the National Powerlifting Association of Jamaica (NPAJ), the event was highlighted by repeat champions Sami Depass and Scott Jennings, who topped their rivals with 1,130 pounds (512.56 kg) and 1,680 pounds (764.30 kg) in the respective women’s and men’s competitions.

Depass and Jennings were included in the eight women and 13 men, who broke records, with four men and four women establishing national marks for the first time, with the genders also evenly split in the six new names that were added to the record books.

The 24-year-old Depass moved the squat to 420lb (190.5kg) to erase the previous mark of 409lb (185.5 kg) and also bench-pressed 225lb (102.06kg) to dismiss the old standard of 214.9lb (97.5kg), for the national record of 1130lb (512.5kg). She was the only athlete with a perfect nine-from-nine in the championships.

In men’s action, Jennings contended the Raw Open for 83kg weight group, rewriting four national records to end the day with a huge 710lb (322.05kg) deadlift. In so doing, Jennings bettered the 688.9lb (312.5kg) mark he set last year. He had also broken the old mark earlier in the event with 700lb (317.51kg).

Jennings’ second squat of 585lb (265.35kg) erased the previous three-ducks-in-a-row of 555lb (250kg), which was set at the inaugural champs last year. In the bench press, Jennings established the new mark with his opener of 390lb (176.90kg) to expunge the old national mark he set in Panama in August of 380.3lb (172.5kg). His 168lb (764.30kg) total bettered the 161.5lb (732.5kg) in Panama.

Meanwhile, national senior captain Jevon DaCosta reigned supreme with 1,700lb (771.11 kg) in the 93kg weightclass, which was the largest total of the day. He had records in the squat and deadlift.

He moved the squat record from 584.2lb (265kg) to 585lb (265.35kg) and in the deadlift he did 700lb (317.51 kg) to erase the old mark of 694.4lb (315kg).