Hello and welcome to another set of newsbites from British Powerlifting’s CEO, Charlie Marillier.
In this weeks top up:
- SBD British Open Classic Championships: an update
- GB Juniors Equipped Selection policy update
- Chief Technical Officer announcement
- Stiff Knee Sleeves update
- Military Success within British Powerlifting
SBD Open Championship 4-6 December 2026 at the NEC Birmingham
Expressions of interest
Last few days to register Expressions of interest. Entries close this Sunday 1 st
November.
Enter the SBD British Open Championships →
You will be taken to our championship entry portal, where you can check the full
entry process, qualifying totals, key dates and submit your total.
Support this event
As with all British Powerlifting events, it is a team effort to deliver this event for our
lifters, if you are able to volunteer to support for any of the Championship, please
complete the relevant from below.
Spectator tickets
Please see below link to purchase spectator tickets, this ticket gives you access for
all 3 days of the competition.
Spectator tickets also give access to the English Weightlifting Championships and
the World Rowing Indoor Championships, which are taking place at the same time at
the NEC.
SPECTATOR TICKETS
GB Juniors Equipped team selection policy update
Written by Head Coach Katrina Sweatman
The team has had another successful year of development and growth thanks to the efforts of our coaches and supporting gyms.
We achieved 3 overall podiums in South Africa which is our best result in recent years
- Adriana Nunes with 2nd in the U69kg Junior
- Stephanie Roderick with 3rd in the 84+ Junior
- Fabian Costea with 1st in the U105kg Sub Junior
Equipped lifting takes time to master; the continued provision of opportunity to participate, support, and knowledge sharing is paramount to success.
Thank you to all of the coaches and gyms who continue to support the team and individuals on it.
Following the successes in 2026, and the unique circumstances with the British Equipped Championships being moved to July, the British Powerlifting Performance Group and Equipped Junior team Head Coach have agreed that the following criteria will apply when selecting the 2027 European Equipped Sub Junior and Junior team.
The changes will apply to this one championship; the selection for Worlds will be primarily based on performances at the British Equipped Championships 2027
The selection pool will consist of:
- Current International Sub Juniors – those lifters not moving from Sub Junior to Junior next calendar year will remain in the selection pool with their best total since the British 2026 in their current class.
- Current International Juniors – Remain in the selection pool with their highest achieved total since the British 2026 in their current class.
- New Juniors – aging out of Sub Juniors – Those international lifters who are aging out of sub juniors, will be allowed to remain in the selection pool for development.
- Additional lifters not currently in the selection pool for 2026 – It is assumed that had the British taken place early next year, there would have been other additional lifters attend using their totals from other events. These lifters will also be added to the selection pool using their best totals ahead of selection.
There may be lifters join the selection pool for development. These lifters will have already competed in equipment and have achieved a total that demonstrates that they are on an upward trajectory and approaching the QT in their age class.
Being present in the selection pool does not guarantee selection – the priority for selection will be as follows:
- British QT – Lifters who have achieved the British QT at the age group are given priority.
- Total* – the lifter with the largest current total will take precedent in selection for specific weight classes **
- Development potential – Lifters in the selection pool who do not yet have the QT will be monitored for their development and may be selected in circumstances where they can demonstrate sufficient progress and an upward trajectory to meet / exceed the qualifying total.
*if any lifter in the selection pool undertakes a divisional between now and selection which increases their total, the highest total will take precedent.
**in the event of a tie on total additional considerations will consist of (not exhaustive or in order of priority).
- previous level of competition
- individual lift medal potential
- GL Points
Selection will take place ahead of the British Bench in February to ensure that there is sufficient time for preparations.
Our World Championship teams will be selected after the British in July in line with normal selection procedure.
The head coach will be monitoring the results of equipped lifters in the coming months and will contact lifters directly if they are being added to the selection pool for the European Championships.
chief technical officer announcement
I am pleased to confirm that Lisa Grant of Isle of Man Powerlifting has accepted the position of Interim Chief Technical Officer for British Powerlifting.
Lisa will work closely with former CTO Adam Reilly during the handover and as we prepare for the start of the national championship season. This begins with the British Open Classic on the first weekend of December.
Thank you to Lisa for taking on the role and to Adam for supporting the handover.
stiff knee sleeves update
Written by Christian Ayandokun
As we all know stiff knee sleeves are no longer permitted from 2027, so plan your transition. If you’re competing before year end, including at the British Championships, finish your prep in your current sleeves first.
If not, start now.
Conceptually you can assume the amount of help a stiff sleeve gives you out of the hole is a similar amount of stimulus your quads have been missing.
Add direct quad work and some knee prehab to your programme, ideally before switching. Introduce softer sleeves on lighter/secondary days first, moving them into heavier sessions over time.
Expect your squat to feel harder for a while, so adjust loads, and film your squats to check your form.
My guess is most lifters will adapt within two to three blocks. Finally, choose a snug, compressive fit in your chosen brand and check that it’s on the approved list.
As confirmed by the IPF, the following Knee Sleeves will be affected:
- INZER ErgoPro Knee Sleeves & INZER ErgoPro “Kona” Knee Sleeves – IPF ID: 270
- Titan Knee Sleeves (TKS) 7mm – IPF ID: 127
- ONI Knee Sleeve Pro – IPF ID: 113 (Equipped & Classic)
- Strength Shop 7mm Inferno PRO Knee Sleeves Extra Stiff Black – IPF ID: 221-1
- Fortex Knee Sleeves 7mm Extra Stiff (Various Colours) – IPF ID: 205
- A7 Hourglass Knee Sleeves Rigor Mortis (Various Colours) – IPF ID: 100
- Stoic Heavy Knee Sleeve (IPF ID: 73), previously listed on the IPF Approved List under ID number 73.
military success within british powerlifting
hands across the sea
Congratulations to all those who participated in the Hands Across The Sea event in Reno, Nevada. This event is a new, annual international for Emergency Services and Armed Forces personnel from the UK and USA, with the first event taking place last year.
With wins for the Women’s Classic and Bench Only Teams, and a narrow victory for the American team in the Men’s Classic event, it was great to see the UK team compete against their Powerlifting America counterparts.
We’re excited for the opportunities that this event brings for more continued competition and camaraderie as it grows each year.
ukaf osv to canada
A fantastic recent success at the Western Canadian National Championships, for the UKAF Powerlifting Association with the majority of our personnel producing performances that would have earned medals had they been competing as Canadian athletes. The standard of competition was exceptional, with world-class lifters such as Nick Manders, Jessica Buettner and Bryce Krawczyk also competing.
The ESAF, Emergency Services and Armed Forces, events for 2027 is in development and are likely to be ready for release very soon.
WHAT’S COMING UP:
- IPF World Equipped Powerlifting Championships, 9-15 November in Turkey
- SBD British Classic Open, 4-6 December at the NEC Birmingham
- European Classic Sub-Junior and Junior Powerlifting Championships, December 3-13 in Slovenia.
Check out all the upcoming championships from British Powerlifting and you can find all the International Competitions from the IPF Calendar.
