Day one of the 2023 IPF World Open Classic Powerlifting Championships proved to be extremely interesting, mostly due to the women’s 47-kilogram weight class. This division gathered some amazing competitors and the battle for the title was set to be fierce. Most notably, Heather Connor and Tiffany Chapon were both aiming to claim their third title. Unfortunately for Heather, she was unable to put out her best display on the squats and bench, which cost her the title. She did, however, set a new 200-kilogram (440.9-pound) IPF Deadlift World Record to make up for it.
At the start of the competition, that is during her squat attempt Heather Connor felt a pop in an unspecified part of her body. This disrupted her flow completely as thoughts of injury rushed through her mind. Consequently, Heather performed significantly worse than what she wanted to.
By the time that the deadlift portion of the competition started to take place, Heather Connor was already out of the title race. However, she gathered herself and reached a huge milestone on the deadlifts. So, she set a new U47KG IPF World Record.
Heather Connor weighed in at only 46.4 kilograms (102.3 pounds) for the 2023 IPF World Championships. So, her IPF Deadlift World Record was 4.31x heavier than her bodyweight was.
Heather Connor missed her first two squat attempts, but luckily succeeded in her third attempt. If she had missed all three attempts, Heather would have been disqualified. She then moved onto the bench press where she missed only one attempt, finishing with a result of 75. kilograms (165.3 pounds). Her deadlift session was perfect, as she successfully completed all three attempts.
Heather Connor’s Full Performance
Squat: 132.5 kilograms (292.1 pounds)
Bench Press: 75 kilograms (165.3 pounds)
Deadlift: 200 kilograms (440.9 pounds) — U47KG IPF World Record
Data Source: Open Powerlifting. Last Updated: April 12, 2023
The 2023 IPF World Open Classic Powerlifting Championships was Heather Connor’s 25th sanctioned powerlifting appearance. She previously won two editions of the IPF Worlds, one in 2017 and another in 2019. Heather hoped to reclaim the title after four years, but luck was once again not on her side.
Heather Connor made impressive progress leading up to the 2023 IPF Worlds, setting personal records in her training. However, her performance in the squats affected her chances against Tiffany Chapon, who proved to be a tough opponent. Despite this setback, Heather’s potential suggests that she could have a strong opportunity to secure the top spot in the 2024 IPF Worlds.
