Images from the IPF Women's World Powerlifting Championships
Ylitornio, Finland ~ May 26-29, 2005 (more to be added soon)

Yet another competition in my weight class... who is nicest?

A priceless moment with World Champion of all 44 kg. / 97 lb'ers, Raija Koskinen of Finland, who literally swept me off my feet (and my 7-year-old son, Glen, thinking, "Wow, that's something I don't see everyday!") She took the time to talk to me about squat training and weight cutting. An awesome lady and a true champion, if ever there was one!

I sent Glen to get her autograph on a local newspaper that covered the showdown in our weight class. I had no idea what it said, but the manager of the Hotel Helenan Kievari gave me a copy and said I was mentioned in there winning 3rd place... great keepsake!

Silver Medalist and 44 kg. IPF World Squat and Deadlift Record Holder, Wei-Ling Chen of Chinese Taipei (this girl has THE muscles in her back!) who dropped down from the 48 kg. / 105's at the last minute to go toe-to-toe with Raija Koskinen. Glen wanted to move to China after meeting her... they pretty much fell in love with each other :)

Notice how the top lifters in our weight class just love to pick people up and hold them for the camera? :) No problem... Wei-Ling can deadlift close to 400 lbs. at 97 lbs. bodyweight!

Laurence Hernandez of France, 4th place finisher this year (I tied with her and placed 3rd by .1 kg). She and her coach were the first ones to congratulate me and Jim after my final deadlift!

Monika Korpak of Poland, 5th place finisher this year, with whom I had great conversation about training. Another very sweet 44 kg. / 97 lb. powerhouse!

It seems this year, there were two competitions within our weight class - the one between the "big two" (Koskinen and Chen) and then the one between the rest of us - each one being SO close and, of course, boiling down to the final deadlift. Many individual medals were decided by .1 kg bodyweight or order of lifting. In the end, I found out that the lightest weight class in the powerlifting world is full of some of the nicest ladies I will ever meet!