From May 2-7, 2023, during the 2023 European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) Equipped Powerlifting Championships in Thisted, Denmark, Daria Rusanenko captured a 276-kilogram (608.4-pound) back squat. Rusanenko competed in the Juniors division, but the equipped squat mark set an all-time World Record for the 84-kilogram weight class overall.
Rusanenko was fully equipped for her squat record, wearing knee wraps, wrist wraps, a lifting belt, and a single-ply lifting suit to help her reach the new strength height. Rusanenko weighed in at 77.17 kilograms (170.1 pounds) for the competition, making her by far the lightest of all her 84-kilogram competitive class peers. The squat helped the athlete achieve third place in her specific division.
Rusanenko could’ve theoretically vied for more on her World Record equipped squat mark, separating herself further from the field. However, after the athlete notched 260 kilograms (573.2 pounds) on her first attempt, she wasted no time pushing for the record. Rusanenko would easily achieve her 276-kilogram (608.4-pound) lift on a second attempt, electing to forgo a third squat after officially surpassing Yevheniia Tishakova’s established milestone.
According to the records database on Open Powerlifting, Tishakova’s past equipped squat World Record of 275.4 kilograms (607.3 pounds) in the 84-kilogram class was notched at the 2018 EPF European Women’s Championships. It stood for approximately five years, with Rusanenko tying the record at the 2022 IPF World Open Equipped Powerlifting Championships, before finally eclipsing the power barrier in her recent performance.
Here’s an overview of Rusanenko’s complete performance from the 2023 EPF Equipped Powerlifting Championships:
Daria Rusanenko (84KG) | 2023 EPF Equipped Powerlifting Championships Top Stats
- Squat — 276 kilograms (608.4 pounds) | All-Time Equipped World Record
- Bench Press — 150 kilograms (330.7 pounds)
- Deadlift — 200 kilograms (440.9 pounds)
- Total — 626 kilograms (1,380.1 pounds)
Per her page on Open Powerlifting, Rusanenko has been competing in some powerlifting capacity since January 2015 — at 13 years old, she made an equipped first-place Sub-Juniors 57-kilogram weight class debut at the 2015 Ukraine Powerlifting Federation (UkrainePF) Donetsk Powerlifting Championships. The athlete can boast more than a few victories in her career, especially in the early stages, but has not won since the 2021 UkrainePF Powerlifting Championships.
Nonetheless, Rusanenko has managed to rewrite the record books on this occasion.
Judging off her recent competitive precedent, Rusanenko will likely next turn her attention to the 2023 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Open Equipped Powerlifting Championships. The athlete finished in third place during both the 2021 and 2022 editions and will assuredly be seeking to build on that performance after attaining her equipped squat World Record.
Featured image: @theipf on Instagram
