Powerlifter Jen Thompson has set a new American record and unofficially set a new world record in the bench press for the 67.5-kilogram class with a press of 148.5 kilograms (327.5 pounds). She set the mark on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, at the USAPL Carolina Prime Time meet in Greenville, SC. Thompson shared a video of the lift on Instagram:
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Thompson wore her singlet and wrist wraps on the bench and performed the lift without a belt. After the barbell was unracked and paused, she received the press command and wasted no time. The barbell never stalled on its ascent until her arms were locked out. Once she racked the bar, she stood up and saw three white lights while hearing AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” playing in the background. She stood atop the bench to celebrate her new record.
Thompson’s Meet Success
Thompson now owns the American records in the 60-kilogram, 67.5-kilogram, and 76-kilogram weight classes. Before the record-setting attempt, Thompson opened with lifts of 125 kilograms (275 pounds) and 142.5 kilograms (314 pounds), which both got three whites. Thompson did the full meet, and you can see her final numbers below.
- Squat — 265 kilograms (584.3 pounds)
- Bench Press — 148.5 kilograms (327.5 pounds)
- Deadlift — 202.5 kilograms (446.5 pounds)
- Total — 646 kilograms (1,358.3 pounds)
The lift goes into the books officially as an American record, but it isn’t a world record because the meet she set the mark in wasn’t an international competition. According to Open Powerlifting, Thompson’s lift is a new personal record for her in a meet, and it also breaks her own all-time Masters 45-49 mark of 145.4 kilograms (320.7 pounds) that she set at the 2022 Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH.
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While she had received congratulations from other powerlifting greats such as Ed Coan, Thompson herself criticized the moment because she felt she may have had more to do.
Kicking myself for not going for 330 (pounds) — [I] definitely had more in the tank.
Had this been an international meet, this would’ve been Thompson’s 78th world record in her career. Those records, combined with her 50-plus titles, put her on the shortlist of greatest powerlifters of all time in the eyes of her many supporters.
As of this writing, there is no word on if Thompson will compete again before the end of 2022. Both streams for the Prime Time meet are available on the Palmetto State Barbell YouTube channel.
Featured Image: @jenthompson_132 on Instagram