Welcome to your weekly top up of newsbites from me, Charlie Marillier, British Powerlifting’s CEO.
NEW BRITISH POWERLIFTING WEBSITE
The new British Powerlifting website is now live with the plan to make this website as useful and interactive as possible. As with all new website launches, the feedback from users is vital to ensure it becomes the most useful online information tool possible. The feedback Team Digital has received so far has been very valuable and helpful to reduce errors and improve its functionality. If you would like to provide feedback regarding the website, please use this form to help continue it’s improvements. I would like to thank Nathan Young who brought this idea to the former CEO James Brincat-Smith on how to maximise the potential and usefulness of our website, also to Abdul Butt, Kim Cowell, Craig Wilkins, Andrew Ward and Shirley Denchie who have worked so hard over the past few months with Nathan and his team on ensuring the website is fit for purpose. If you would like to speak to Team Digital around the website, please drop them an email teamdigital@britishpowerlifting.org
CHANGES TO CLASSIC BENCH TEAM
As this great sport grows, so have many of the teams that we send out internationally. None more so than the Classic Bench Team, which has seen numbers upwards of 100 competitors. Having previously rested on the shoulders of Head Coach Sheridan Wray, this is a monumental task. This year, the board have voted to reduce this workload on the Head Coaches by splitting the team in to age categories. To expedite this within our capabilities, we have appointed an interim Head Coach to facilitate this change in 2026 whilst we conduct a recruitment process to provide the 3 Head Coaches necessary for 2027 and onwards.
The 2026 Classic Bench Team will be as follows:
- Sub-Junior, Junior and Open with Interim Head Coach Scott Simon
- Masters with Head Coach Sheridan Wray
As time marches on to this weekend’s British Classic Bench Championships, we are working very hard in the background to ensure these changes create a positive effect for the lifters involved.
Sub-Junior, Junior and Open International Selection – Classic Bench
As part of Scott’s preparations, he would like to share the following announcement:
2026 Sub-Junior, Junior & Open Classic Bench International Selection Expression of Interest (EoI)
In line with the 2026 Selection Policy, athletes who placed in the top three position in their age and weight classes who wish to be considered for International Selection for the 2026 Sub-Junior, Junior & Open Classic Bench International Teams are requested to complete this EoI form.
Process and Timeline.
To be selected athletes need to have completed and uploaded a current ADEL certificate, 2026 IPF Consent form and a passport style photograph onto their Sport 80 profile by close of play 8th March 2026.
Selection decisions and individual offers will then be made for the 2026 IPF World Bench Championships by the 15th of March, with Preliminary nominations closing on the 24th March 2026.
2026 European Bench Selection will be completed in May 2026.
If you have any further questions regarding Classic Bench selection you can email the Head Coaches or the Performance Committee.
EUROPEAN MASTERS CLASSIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Written by Jo Whiteley.
Huge congratulations to our classic masters powerlifting team, recently returned from the snowy vastness of Oulu, Finland. Every team was either first or a very close second. We welcome 18 new European champions – two of them also winning the Best Lifter award (highest formula in the whole age class). 12 world records and 15 European records went into the history books and we are so proud of each and every one of our 52 strong team.
To see all the records broken by our British Lifters, check out the EPF Instagram page, the British Powerlifting Instagram page, the results on the EPF website, as well as the live streaming through Goodlift.
EQUIPPED POWERLIFTING OPEN FORUM
This is a reminder for the next open forum: Equipped Powerlifting focused.
If you would like to be involved in helping develop the future of Equipped Powerlifting, please join us on:
📅Wednesday 25 February
🕖 7:00–8:00pm
Zoom Video Call
The session will be attended by:
- Chaired by NI CEO Josh Bell
- CEO, Charlie Marillier, British Powerlifting
- Other members of the British Powerlifting Board and Sub Committee lead
This forum is an opportunity for members to raise questions, concerns, opinions, and ideas to enhance the engagement, experience and enjoyment of Equipped Powerlifting in Britain.
Can’t attend?
Members who are unable to join the forum can still contribute by:
- Emailing their thoughts directly to me at charlie.marillier@britishpowerlifting.org
A reminder on professionalism
Please note that this consultation process is managed entirely by volunteers at both IPF and federation level. Any feedback should be well considered, concise, constructive, and respectful, and free from abusive or inappropriate language.
WHAT’S COMING UP:
- British Classic Bench Press Champs, Feb 28 – March 1 in Maidstone, Kent.
- European Open Classic Powerlifting Championships, March 15-11 in Malta.
Check out all the upcoming competitions from British Powerlifting and you can find all the International Competitions from the IPF Calendar. I would like to wish all the athletes preparing for these upcoming competitions good luck.