Daria Rusanenko is the new queen of the equipped squat at 84-kilograms. The 22-year-old lifted in the Open class at the 2023 European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Equipped Championships in Thisted, Denmark, during the first week of May.
Rusanenko was part of a very successful Ukrainian team. Although still a Junior, she took the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) Open world record with an assured-looking 276-kilogram (608.5-pound) single-ply squat. During the lift, Rusaneko wore a lifting suit, wrist wraps, knee wraps, and a lifting belt. The squat can be seen in the video below, courtesy of the IPF’s Instagram page:
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[Related: Reece Fullwood (125KG) Sets New All-Time World Record Raw Squat of 412.5 Kilograms (909.4 Pounds)]
Rusanenko was the sub-Junior world champion in 2019 and holds the sub-Junior world record squat in 76-kilogram and 84-kilogram weight classes — 240 kilograms (529.1 pounds), and 225 kilograms (496 pounds), respectively.
2023 EPF European Equipped Championships Results — Daria Rusanenko | Single-ply 84KG, Junior
Below are Rusanenko’s top lifts from the competition:
- Squat – 276 kilograms (608.5 pounds) – World Junior and Open record
- Bench Press – 150 kilograms (331 pounds)
- Deadlift – 200 kilograms (441 pounds)
- Total – 626 kilograms (1,380 pounds) – Third Place Overall
Weighing in at 77.17 kilograms (170 pounds), Rusanenko was by far the lightest, giving away five kilograms (11 pounds) or more in body weight to most of her rivals. Despite this, she was in a class of her own on squat.
Rusanenko looked solid under the barbell on her 260-kilogram (573-pound) opener and took the world record for her second attempt. The bar slowed as she pushed through the sticking point but it was never in any doubt. She claimed the record for her own, standing as both an IPF Junior and an IPF Open world record.
Rusanenko maintained a small lead through to the second round of deadlifts but lost position when two attempts at 215 kilograms (474 pounds) were unsuccessful. She finished with the overall bronze medal with a 626-kilogram (1,380-pound) total.
What’s Next
Given this is her final year as a Junior athlete, Rusanenko will likely compete at the 2023 IPF World Junior Powerlifting Championships held in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in August. Securing a Junior world title before irrevocably moving into the Open category would be a fantastic start to her Open career. We’ll see if she calls for another world record weight on the barbell when she takes the platform for her final competitive squat as a Junior.
Featured image: @theipf on Instagram