Hello and welcome to another set of newsbites from British Powerlifting’s CEO, Charlie Marillier.
In this weeks top up:
- British Masters classic update and feedback request
- World Bench round up
- FISU announcement
- Competition Managers announcement
- IPF General assembly
- British Powerlifting AGM
Thank you for your patience last week, we aim to provide you with weekly updates, however, some weeks our limited voluntary time is spent on other items. This week, however, I have a full array of updates for you.
British Masters Classic
Written by Adam Reilly
Just over a week ago we had our Masters National Championships.
Naturally, the Masters lifters are many of our lifters that have been lifting for a number of years so the Master comp is a great atmosphere where we can all catch up with our powerlifting friends.
It was also good to see a number of lifters that helped with our National Championships earlier in the year have their time on the platform at this comp.
This competition saw us returning to Scotland for a National Championship, we have not had one in Scotland since 2022. Members of Scottish Powerlifting truly stepped up to the plate with this being a massive team effort with a huge turn out of volunteers to staff and run the competition.
There were so many people helping to make this competition a success, we want to thank everyone that helped. In Particular we want to thank the following people:
- Mark Fulton as Meet Director he thought of everything and ensure all bases were covered and even found time to lift as well.
He was Supported by
- Jim Shedden – logistics mastermind and lorry Tetris expert.
- Darren Marr – Venue coordination, set up and tear down.
- Mark Henkelis – Tech wizard.
- Claire Tocher – Scottish Powerlifting Chair, General support and guidance and Tea Cake coordinator.
That concludes the bulk of our National Championships for the year with only the SBD Open Nationals in December remaining. Our competitions team are now working hard in the background on planning next year’s calendar and also looking further ahead to 2028.
With our 2027 calendar confirmed, we are still looking for some host for next year.
We have a list of secured, reliable venues and promoters but want to open up opportunities to new or returning venues/organisers/promoters by inviting you to bid to host a National championships.
To apply or find out more, please contact Adam Reilly at competitions@britishpowerlifting.org and he will be more than happy to discuss this with you.
- 30/01/2027 31/01/2027 Classic Sub-Juniors Nationals
- 20/02/2027 21/02/2027 Classic & Equipped Bench Nationals
- 10/04/2027 11/04/2027 Classic Junior Nationals
- 23/04/2027 25/04/2027 University Nationals (BUCS)
- 05/06/2027 06/06/2027 Classic Masters Nationals
- 10/07/2027 11/07/2027 Equipped Nationals (All ages)
- 03/12/2027 05/12/2027 Classic Open Nationals
Lifter Feedback
For those who competed recently at either the British Universities, British Junior/Sub-Junior or British Masters Classic championships, to help us further development our national standard competitions please can you spare 5 minutes of your time and provide feedback.
Whilst the 2026 calendar has largely been completed, this allows the competition team to take in, review and action the feedback that you provide ready for 2027.
World Bench Press championships
Medals upon Medals
British Powerlifting was well represented at the 2026 IPF World Classic and Equipped Bench Press Championships in Warsaw, with strong performances across the Open, Junior, Sub-Junior, Masters and Special Olympics categories.
I am very pleased with the way the Great Britain team conducted themselves throughout the championships. The results reflect the standard of preparation, coaching and support behind the team, as well as the commitment of the lifters who earned selection to represent their country.
In the Classic Bench Press Championships, the men’s team produced a number of strong performances. Ashley Liston won silver in the Open 120kg class with a best lift of 247.5kg, with Tony Cliffe finishing fourth in the same class. The Open men also placed eighth in the team standings, supported by valuable results from across the group.
One of the standout results of the championships came from the Men’s Classic Sub-Junior team, who won the team title. Caleb Dubberley, Alfie Bezance and Harry Newby each won their respective classes, with further podium finishes from Sam Gowland and Dash Granite. This was an excellent result for the team and a clear sign of the depth developing within British Powerlifting.
The Women’s Classic team also delivered a strong set of results. Zijun Chen won silver in the Open 57kg class with a best lift of 112.5kg, while the Open women finished sixth in the team standings. The Junior women were particularly impressive, finishing second as a team, with Georgina Harrison winning silver in the 57kg class and Victoria Hart taking bronze in the 63kg class.
Our Masters lifters continued to show the quality and consistency we have come to expect from this part of the team. Scott Simon won the Men’s Master 2 120kg class, while Bill Davies took silver in the Men’s Master 3 59kg class. The Women’s Classic Masters team also made a significant contribution, including class wins for Rebecca Coggle and Beverley Rodgers, alongside further podium results from Joanne Parkin, Karen McKendry, Hellen Frost, Caroline Calver and Dee Atkins-Greig. Sophie Smith also won the Special Olympics 52kg class and the Special Olympics best lifter title in the Women’s Classic competition.
The Equipped Bench Press Championships brought further success for Great Britain. Mathew Hallett won silver in the Men’s Open 93kg class with 305kg, and the Open men finished fifth in the team standings. There were also strong results from the Junior and Masters men, including bronze medals for Tom Senior in the Junior 66kg class and Aaron Gideon in the Master 1 74kg class.
The Women’s Equipped team delivered some of the strongest results of the championships for Great Britain. Ellie Steel won the Open 57kg class with 160kg, while Katrina Sweatman won the Open 84+kg class with 237.5kg. Kimberley Cowell added silver in the Open 76kg class, helping Great Britain to second place in the Open team standings.
The Women’s Equipped Masters teams were also excellent. Great Britain won the Master 1 and Master 3 team titles and placed second in Master 2. Maureen Gordon’s win in the Master 3 76kg class, with a lift of 133kg, was one of the leading British performances of the Equipped Championships. There were also gold medals for Helen Hughes and Wendie Kirkland in Master 2, with further podium finishes from Sarah Knight, Jodie Hall, Angela Lauder, Emma Kehoe and Melissa Wall.
I would like to congratulate every lifter who represented Great Britain in Warsaw. Medals and team placings are important, and these results should be recognised properly. The wider picture is also positive, with British lifters contributing across every age group and both Classic and Equipped competition.
Special congratulations go to the following Best Lifter achievements:
- Maureen Gordon Equipped M3 best female lifter
- Katrina Sweatman Equipped Open 2nd best female lifter
- Rebecca Coggle Classic M1 2nd best female lifter
- Rita Shergold Equipped M3 3rd best female lifter
Along with success for the following teams:
- Classic Sub-Junior Men best team
- Classic Junior Women 2nd best team
- Classic Women’s M1 2nd best team
- Classic M2 women 2nd best team
These championships showed the strength of our current team and the quality coming through the British Powerlifting pathway. I am proud of the athletes, coaches, referees, volunteers and support teams who contributed to these results, and I look forward to seeing the team continue to build from this position.
Check out the IPF page for the full list of results and our socials Instagram and the IPF World Bench 2026 Youtube competition videos.
FISU World universities championship announcement
British Powerlifting’s stance on sending a team
Yesterday, British Powerlifting announced following a careful review of the current conflict in the Middle East, we have taken the decision not to send a team to Sharjah, UAE for the upcoming FISU World Championships.
You can read more on our announcement.
If the situation should change, we will announce this as soon as is possible.
adam reilly: competition manager
Welcome to the future of British Competitions.
British Powerlifting has been working closely with a group of volunteers to ensure the highest standard of competitions for our Nationals 2026. Essential in this group has been Adam Reilly, a 20 year veteran of British Powerlifting and has long been the organisations Chief Technical officer.
Following several very successful championships and observing Adam’s diligent and experience driven work, the board agreed to appoint Adam Reilly as Competition Manager.
This role differs from Competition Director as it is not a board role, it is a team leader role. We are looking to draw on Adam’s skills and experience in hosting competitions and future planning to further improve the standard, communication pathways and lifters enjoyment.
As Adam will be retiring from Chief Technical officer, we will be recruiting for a new person who has the skills, knowledge and experience to continue the great work Adam started in the role.
The IPF General Assembly
A summary of growth and change
The 2026 IPF General Assembly, held on Friday 12 June in Druskininkai, Lithuania, was an important opportunity to hear directly from the IPF leadership on the progress, pressures and priorities facing international powerlifting. The agenda set out a broad programme of reports, including the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary General, commissions, regions, membership matters, proposed amendments, future championships and other business.
The IPF presented a federation in transition but moving with clear intent. The President’s report emphasised the first full year of work following the change of leadership in 2025, including a stronger focus on good governance, democracy, transparency, accountability, ethical standards, athlete rights and the need to “listen to the lifters”. The IPF reported that the Executive Committee and its smaller operational group had been meeting frequently, reflecting the scale of work now required to run the federation. There was also a clear message that the IPF is seeking broader and more diverse participation in its commissions and leadership, with particular progress in female representation.
Operationally, the IPF highlighted major areas of development. These included the implementation of new technical rules, a more science-based equipment approval process, improvements to the nomination and scoring system, and continued engagement with international sport bodies as part of the long-term objective of IOC recognition. They reported the importance of major events, including the World Games, Sheffield, world championships and regional championships, while acknowledging that growth brings increased financial, logistical and administrative demands. The Treasurer’s report noted a challenging financial year, with pressure from VAT, legal costs, anti-doping, travel and reduced partner income, and stressed the need to build stronger reserves. At the same time, the IPF reaffirmed the importance of its partners and its continued investment in anti-doping, education and event delivery.
The by-law proposals were therefore presented against a backdrop of growth, professionalisation and governance reform. Taken together, they appeared to aim to modernise the IPF’s internal structures, improve transparency, clarify responsibilities and create more consistent procedures across the international federation and its member nations. A significant number of proposals related to officer allowances, expenses and reporting. These sought to recognise the increasing workload of IPF officers while placing those arrangements within defined ceilings, approved budgets and annual reporting to the General Assembly.
Other proposals focused on athlete representation, commission structures and gender equality. The proposed amendments sought to establish clearer, competency-based commission frameworks, strengthen the Athlete Commission through elections, athlete registers and governance data, establish a Masters Commission, and introduce a non-quota gender representation benchmark. These measures were aimed at improving representation, legitimacy and inclusivity while preserving the voting rights and autonomy of member nations.
The proposals also placed strong emphasis on governance compliance by member federations. Amendments to the affiliation and review processes sought to require clear constitutional documents, democratic elections, financial accountability, anti-doping compliance, annual governance confirmations, websites and transparent national processes. In practical terms, these changes were intended to make national federation governance more predictable, open and accountable, while giving the IPF structured tools to support or intervene where serious governance failures arise.
The competition and athlete-nomination proposals were also significant. They sought to clarify qualification periods, nomination deadlines, coaching requirements, official representative accreditation, inter-federation coaching assistance, coach limits, national championship results and athlete selection transparency. The athlete-focused provisions aimed to reduce arbitrary exclusions, protect athlete rights, improve published selection criteria, allow self-funded participation where financial constraints were the sole barrier, and provide clearer eligibility rules for changes of national representation. Related proposals addressed referee obligations, non-approved events, anti-doping integrity and safeguarding standards for sub-junior athletes.
I attended the General Assembly and was able to engage positively with members of the IPF Executive Committee on matters related to both the agenda and the by-law proposals. I found those discussions constructive and welcome the openness shown by the leadership. It was also noted that there was not a quorum to deal with the constitutional changes, which means an Extraordinary General Meeting will need to be initiated so those matters can be voted on properly.
Overall, I commend the work the IPF has undertaken over the last 12 months since the change of leadership. It is clear that the federation is working very hard to continue growing the sport while improving governance, transparency and accountability.
British Powerlifting AGM
Information for you
On May 26, British Powerlifting published a notice of the upcoming AGM to be held online on July 26 2026. There is information on the published AGM page.
Particularly pertinent is tomorrow’s date, this is when the motion submission goes live.
Members have 14 days to submit motions to be voted on at the AGM and we welcome members to be as active as possible in shaping our organisation.
Please note, we will also be holding an open discussion of the motions for BP AGM 2026 on Thursday 23 July 2026, 11:00. This is to be held while voting is still open so members can talk through the issues before they finalise (or change) their vote.
WHAT’S COMING UP:
- World Classic Open Championships, June 13-21 in Druskininkai, Lithuania
- British Powerlifting AGM, July 26 10.00am
Check out all the upcoming championships from British Powerlifting and you can find all the International Competitions from the IPF Calendar.
