The World Deadlift Championships
The World Deadlift Championships is a (mostly) annual competition featuring strength athletes from all over the world, competing exclusively in the strongman deadlift. It was created by Giants Live and the championship focuses mainly on the maximum deadlift in pursuit of the deadlift world record, although in the 2017 edition, the event was changed to a 400 kg (882 lb) weight for the most repetitions in 60 seconds before reverting to a maximum weight format in 2019 after a one-year hiatus.
Champions[edit]
1 While Makarov has declared for Russia, he competed for Ukraine at the 2021 World Deadlift Championships.
2 While Makarov has declared for Russia, he competed for Georgia at the 2022 and 2023 World Deadlift Championships.
Heaviest lifts[edit]
In history[edit]
| # | Weight | Competitor | Event location and name | Bar/ standard | World Record? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 501 kg (1,105 lb) |  Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson
|
Reykjavík, Iceland |
Standard/ single ply suit |
Yes |
| 2 | 500 kg (1,102 lb) |  Eddie Hall
|
 Leeds, United Kingdom |
Standard/ multi ply suit |
Yes |
| 3 | 481 kg (1,060 lb) |  Peiman Maheripour
|
 Moscow, Russia 2021 WRPF World Championships
|
Standard/ multi ply suit |
No |
| 4 | 477.5 kg (1,053 lb) | Peiman Maheripour
|
Moscow, Russia 2021 WRPF World Championships
|
Standard/ multi ply suit |
No |
| 5 | 476 kg (1,049 lb) |  Rauno Heinla
|
Cardiff, United Kingdom |
Standard/ multi ply suit |
Yes (Over-40s only) |
| 6 | 475 kg (1,047 lb) |  Mitchell Hooper
|
 Australia |
Standard/ multi ply suit |
No |
 Ivan Makarov 1
|
Manchester, United Kingdom |
Standard/ multi ply suit |
No | ||
| 8 | 474 kg (1,045 lb) | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson
|
 Ohio, Columbus, United States |
Elephant/ raw |
Yes (Elephant only) |
| 9 | 472 kg (1,041 lb) | Eddie Hall
|
 Botswana |
Standard/ multi ply suit |
No |
| 10 | 472 kg (1,041 lb) | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson
|
Ohio, Columbus, United States |
Elephant/ raw |
Yes (Elephant only) |
At the championships[edit]
| # | Weight | Competitor | Year | Bar | Record Set |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 500 kg (1,102 lb) | Eddie Hall
|
2016 | Standard | World Record |
| 2 | 476 kg (1,049 lb) | Rauno Heinla
|
2022 | Standard | Estonian Record, World Record (over-40s) |
| 3 | 475 kg (1,047 lb) | Ivan Makarov 1
|
2021 | Standard | Ukrainian Record |
| 4 | 470 kg (1,036 lb) | Graham Hicks
|
2023 | Standard | - |
| 5 | 465 kg (1,025 lb) | Eddie Hall
|
2016 | Standard | World Record |
| Benedikt Magnússon
|
2016 | Standard | World Record | ||
| Jerry Pritchett
|
2016 | Standard | World Record | ||
| 8 | 463 kg (1,021 lb) | Eddie Hall
|
2015 | Standard | World Record |
| 9 | 461 kg (1,016 lb) | Benedikt Magnússon
|
2014 | Standard | World Record |
| 10 | 455 kg (1,003 lb) | Rauno Heinla
|
2019 | Standard | Estonian Record |
| Jerry Pritchett
|
2019 | Standard | - | ||
| Rauno Heinla
|
2023 | Standard | - | ||
 Ivan Makarov 2
|
2023 | Standard | Georgian Record | ||
| Evan Singleton
|
2023 | Standard | - |
Continental records[edit]
- This list features lifts made with a standard bar.
| Region | Weight | Athlete | Nation | Year set |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 501 kg (1,105 lb) | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland
|
2020 |
| Asia | 481 kg (1,060 lb) | Peiman Maheripour | Iran
|
2021 |
| Oceania | 475 kg (1,047 lb) | Mitchell Hooper | Australia
|
2021 |
| North, Central America and Caribbean | 467.5 kg (1,031 lb) | Dimitar Savatinov | United States
|
2023 |
| Africa | 455 kg (1,003 lb) | Chris van der Linde |  South Africa
|
2022 |
| South America | 402.5 kg (887 lb) | Rafa Crestani |  Brazil
|
2014 |
Note: Oceanian record was set while Hooper was representing Australia. Since 2022, Hooper has chosen to represent Canada. The record by an athlete who is still representing Oceania is 460 kg (1,014 lb) by Mathew Ragg of New Zealand.
Records on other bars and standards[edit]
| Lift details | Weight | Athlete | Nation | Year set |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Dollar (Elevated 18" height) | 580 kg (1,279 lb) | Rauno Heinla | Estonia
|
2022 |
| Hummer tyre (Elevated 15" height) | 549 kg (1,210 lb) | Oleksii Novikov | Ukraine
|
2022 |
| Axle bar (Elevated 18" height) | 499 kg (1,100 lb) | Gabriel Peña |  Mexico
|
2021 |
| Elephant bar (Standard 9" height) | 474 kg (1,045 lb) | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Iceland
|
2019 |
| Power bar - Conventional (Standard 9" height) | 460.4 kg (1,015 lb) | Benedikt Magnússon | Iceland
|
2011 |
| Power bar - Sumo (Standard 9" height) 3 | 487.5 kg (1,075 lb) | Danny Grigsby | United States
|
2022 |
3 This lift has been included as a reference - sumo deadlifts are classified as illegal in strongman competitions.
Individual results[edit]
2014[edit]
The 2014 World Deadlift Championships were held at the Headingley Stadium in Leeds, England on 9 August 2014 during the 2014 Europe's Strongest Man. Magnússon set a new world record with a lift of 461 kg (1,016 lb).[1]
Results[edit]
| # | Name | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benedikt Magnússon
|
461 kg (1,016 lb) |
| 2 | Eddie Hall
|
446 kg (983 lb) |
| 3 |  Martin Wildauer
|
435 kg (959 lb) |
| Laurence Shahlaei
| ||
| 5 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson
|
420 kg (926 lb) |
| Mark Felix
| ||
 Johannes Årsjö
| ||
| 8 | Graham Hicks
|
400 kg (882 lb) |
 Vytautas Lalas
| ||
 Krzysztof Radzikowski
| ||
| Andy Bolton
| ||
| 12 | Mikhail Koklyaev
|
No lift |
| X | Brian Shaw
|
Withdrew |
Records[edit]
| Nation | Name | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| World | Benedikt Magnússon | 461 kg (1,016 lb) |
| Icelandic
|
Benedikt Magnússon | 461 kg (1,016 lb) |
| English
|
Eddie Hall | 446 kg (983 lb) |
| Austrian
|
Martin Wildauer | 435 kg (959 lb) |
| Swedish
|
Johannes Årsjö | 420 kg (926 lb) |
2015[edit]
The 2015 World Deadlift Championships were held at the Headingley Stadium in Leeds, England on July 11, 2015. Hall set a new world record with a lift of 463 kg (1,021 lb).[2]
Results[edit]
| # | Name | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eddie Hall
|
463 kg (1,021 lb) |
| 2 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson
|
450 kg (992 lb) |
| 3 | Rauno Heinla
|
435 kg (959 lb) |
| Jerry Pritchett
| ||
| 5 | Andy Bolton
|
430 kg (948 lb) |
| 6 | Mark Felix
|
400 kg (882 lb) |
| Krzysztof Radzikowski
| ||
| Terry Hollands
| ||
 Dainis Zageris
| ||
 Matjaz Belsak
| ||
| 11 |  Dimitar Savatinov
|
360 kg (794 lb) |
| 12 |  Luke Stoltman
|
No lift |
Records[edit]
| Nation | Name | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| World | Eddie Hall | 463 kg (1,021 lb) |
| English
|
Eddie Hall | 463 kg (1,021 lb) |
| Estonian
|
Rauno Heinla | 435 kg (959 lb) |
| Slovenian
|
Matjaz Belsak | 400 kg (882 lb) |
2016[edit]
The 2016 World Deadlift Championships were held at the 2016 Europe's Strongest Man event at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England. Hall set a new world record, becoming the first person in history to deadlift 500 kg (1,102 lb).[3]
Results[edit]
| # | Name | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eddie Hall
|
500 kg (1,102 lb) |
| 2 | Benedikt Magnússon
|
465 kg (1,025 lb) |
| Jerry Pritchett
| ||
| 4 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson
|
440 kg (970 lb) |
| 5 | Laurence Shahlaei
|
420 kg (926 lb) |
| Terry Hollands
| ||
| Mark Felix
| ||
| Marius Lalas
| ||
| 9 | Johannes Årsjö
|
400 kg (882 lb) |
| Dimitar Savatinov
| ||
| Adam Bishop
| ||
| 12 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski
|
No lift |
| Stefan Solvi Petursson
|
Records[edit]
| Nation | Name | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| World | Eddie Hall | 500 kg (1,102 lb) |
| English
|
Eddie Hall | 500 kg (1,102 lb) |
| Icelandic
|
Benedikt Magnússon | 465 kg (1,025 lb) |
| American
|
Jerry Pritchett | 465 kg (1,025 lb) |
2017[edit]
The 2017 World Deadlift Championships were held at the Giants Live Finals event in Manchester, England. In this edition, the championships were changed to a deadlift for the most repetitions in 60 seconds format with a fixed weight of 400 kg (882 lb) .[4]
Results[edit]
| # | Name | Repetitions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JF Caron
|
5 |
| Konstantine Janashia
| ||
| 3 | Benedikt Magnússon
|
3 |
| 4 | Žydrūnas Savickas
|
2 |
| 5 | Mikhail Shivlyakov
|
1 |
| 6 | Laurence Shahlaei
|
0 |
| Nick Best
| ||
| Terry Hollands
| ||
 Cheick "Iron Biby" Sanou
|
2019[edit]
The 2019 World Deadlift Championships were held at the Wembley Arena in Wembley, England, as the opening event for Giants Live Wembley. In this edition, the championships returned to the max weight deadlift format.[5]
Results[edit]
| # | Name | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rauno Heinla
|
455 kg (1,003 lb) |
| Jerry Pritchett
| ||
| 3 | Rob Kearney
|
440 kg (970 lb) |
| Adam Bishop
| ||
 Nedžmin Ambešković
| ||
| 6 | Martins Licis
|
420 kg (926 lb) |
| Mikhail Shivlyakov
| ||
| Mark Felix
| ||
| 9 | Mateusz Kieliszkowski
|
400 kg (882 lb) |
| Tom Stoltman
| ||
| 11 | Luke Stoltman
|
No lift |
Records[edit]
| Nation | Name | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Estonian
|
Rauno Heinla | 455 kg (1,003 lb) |
| Bosnian
|
Nedžmin Ambešković | 440 kg (970 lb) |
2021[edit]
The 2021 World Deadlift Championships were held at the AO Arena in Manchester, England, as the opening event for Giants Live World Open.
Results[edit]
| # | Name | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivan Makarov 1
|
475 kg (1,047 lb) |
| 2 | Pavlo Nakonechnyy
|
453.5 kg (1,000 lb) |
| Evan Singleton
| ||
| Adam Bishop
| ||
| Oleksii Novikov
| ||
| Gabriel Peña
| ||
| Nedžmin Ambešković
| ||
| 8 | Mikhail Shivlyakov
|
425 kg (937 lb) |
| Rauno Heinla
| ||
 Gavin Bilton
| ||
| Andy Black
|
Records[edit]
| Nation | Name | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Ukrainian
|
Ivan Makarov | 475 kg (1,047 lb) |
| Mexican
|
Gabriel Peña | 453.5 kg (1,000 lb) |
| Bosnian
|
Nedžmin Ambešković | 453.5 kg (1,000 lb) |
| Welsh
|
Gavin Bilton | 425 kg (937 lb) |
2022[edit]
The 2022 World Deadlift Championships were held at the Cardiff International Arena in Cardiff, Wales, as the opening event for Giants Live World Open. During this competition, as a result of another nationality change, Ivan Makarov became the first strongman to hold the national deadlift record for three different countries, having set the new Georgian record at 453.5kg. Makarov, at the time of the championships also held the Ukrainian (475kg - set 2021) and the Russian records (470kg - set 2019).
Results[edit]
| # | Name | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rauno Heinla
|
476 kg (1,049 lb) |
| 2 | Graham Hicks
|
453.5 kg (1,000 lb) |
| Mitchell Hooper
| ||
| Ivan Makarov 2
| ||
| Pavlo Nakonechnyy
| ||
| 6 | Gavin Bilton
|
425.5 kg (938 lb) |
| Oleksii Novikov
| ||
| Evan Singleton
| ||
| 9 | Andy Black
|
400 kg (882 lb) |
| Shane Flowers
| ||
 Pa O'Dwyer
|
Records[edit]
| Nation | Name | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| World (over-40s) | Rauno Heinla | 476 kg (1,049 lb) |
| Estonian
|
Rauno Heinla | 476 kg (1,049 lb) |
| Georgian
|
Ivan Makarov | 453.5 kg (1,000 lb) |
| Welsh
|
Gavin Bilton | 425.5 kg (938 lb) |
2023[edit]
The 2023 World Deadlift Championships were held at the Cardiff International Arena in Cardiff, Wales, as the opening event for Giants Live World Open. This was the first championships to have female competitors, with Lucy Underdown setting a new undisputed world record of 318 kg (701 lb).
Results[edit]
| # | Name | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graham Hicks
|
470 kg (1,036 lb) |
| 2 | Rauno Heinla
|
455 kg (1,003 lb) |
| Ivan Makarov 2
| ||
| Evan Singleton
| ||
| 5 | Austin Andrade
|
430 kg (948 lb) |
| Gavin Bilton
| ||
| Jamal Browner
| ||
| Shane Flowers
| ||
| 9 |  Evans Nana
|
400 kg (882 lb) |
| Rob Kearney
| ||
| Oleksii Novikov
| ||
| Pa O'Dwyer
| ||
| Luke Stoltman
| ||
| 14 (1F) | Lucy Underdown
|
317.5 kg (700 lb) |
| 15 (2F) | Rebecca Roberts
|
280 kg (617 lb) |
| 16 | Oskar Ziółkowski
|
No Lift |
Records[edit]
| Nation | Name | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Georgian
|
Ivan Makarov | 455 kg (1,003 lb) |
| Welsh
|
Gavin Bilton | 430 kg (948 lb) |
| Ghanaian
|
Evans Nana | 400 kg (882 lb) |
| World (women) | Lucy Underdown | 318 kg (701 lb) |
| English (women)
|
Lucy Underdown | 318 kg (701 lb) |
| Welsh (women)
|
Rebecca Roberts | 280 kg (617 lb) |
See also[edit]
- Progression of the deadlift world record
- Europe's Strongest Man
- Giants Live
- The World Log Lift Championships
References[edit]
- ^ "Europe's Strongest Man 2014". www.strongman.org. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "World Deadlift Championships 2015". www.strongman.org. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "See the results for the Europe's Strongest Man + World Deadlift Championships". www.floelite.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "2017 World Deadlift Championship Results". www.startingstrongman.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "Giants Live Wembley 2019 – full results and show round up". www.giants-live.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.