Andrea Smith and Vijai Rahim sizzle as records tumble; 14 year-old Britney Mack impress

May 03, 2015 Sports

---

GAPF inaugural Clash of Champions Invitational C/ships …

Andrea Smith turned the tables on fierce rival Chloe Hunter to claim the overall title, while Vijai Rahim proved yet again that he is a class act to win the men’s overall crown when the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF) held its inaugural Clash of Champions Invitational Championships on Friday May 1st at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.

Sizzling competition was the order of the day, put on by the respective weight division champions in Guyana which saw a number of records being smashed in the process whilst some lifters also recorded personal bests.
Smith who had to settle for the runner-up spot at the 2014 National Championships to Hunter went all the way this time, outdoing her rival due to a lighter bodyweight which was decided by the Wilkes calculation.
In the women’s 52kg class 14 year-old sensation Britney Mack in only her second appearance at the National level and coached by her father, Caribbean 74kg Open Champion Dr. Osmond Mack, displayed scintillating form as she inked her name in the National record books.
The young Mack smashed the previous records that were set by Steffi De Nobrega by posting new marks in the Squat (115kgs), Bench Press (45kgs), Deadlift (107.5kgs) and Total (267.5kgs) replacing the former total of 257.5kgs to become the new undisputed Champion at the Sub Junior and Junior levels.
The fierce rivalry between Smith and Hunter consumed another chapter in their ongoing duel in the 57kg category. Smith (Squat 137.5kg, Bench Press 67.5kg, Deadlift 165kg, Total 370kg) upstaged Hunter (Squat 132.5kg, Bench Press 77.5kg, Deadlift 160kg, Total 370kg) enjoyed

the top spot this time as a result of a lighter bodyweight of 53.9kgs/Wilkes score of 448.55 compared to Hunter’s heavier bodyweight of 54.8kgs and Wilkes score of 442.77.
So fierce were the displays that both lifters unofficially have smashed the current Caribbean records held by Jannitzzi Tapia of Puerto Rico whose total stands at 357.50kgs.
CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS OVERALL TITLE
1st Place – Andrea Smith wilkes points total 448.5
2nd Place – Chloe Hunter wilkes points total 442.77
3rd –Place – Britney Mack wilkes points total 348.90
In the men’s segment, National Open and Junior champion as well as the Best Lifter Overall in 2013 and 2014 Vijai Rahim was the lone competitor in the 66kg class, bettered his own Deadlift record of 272.5 with a new lift of 275kgs before returning to the winners row for the Best Lifter Overall accolade.
In the 74kg category the eagerly awaited match up pitting previously undefeated National and Caribbean Champion Winston ‘Little Master’ Stoby and 2014 Caribbean Champion Osmond Mack went down to the wire with Mack dethroning a game an extremely competitive World Masters 2 Deadlift champion, Stoby by a mere 5kgs.
Final score Mack, (Squat 260kgs, Bench Press 152.5kgs, Deadlift 147.5kg, Total 660kgs) defeated Stoby (Squat 240kgs, Bench Press 140kgs, Deadlift 275kgs, Total 655kgs) to be crowned the new champion.
Osmond Mack now holds the National records in the Squat, Bench Press and Total with Stoby holding on to his Deadlift record in the Open 74kg class.
In the 83kg class, Junior lifter Rudolph Blackman (Squat 272.5kgs, Bench Press 165kgs, Deadlift 272.5kgs) took advantage of the absence of top seeds Randolph ‘The Accomplisher’ Morgan and Anis Ade Thomas to squeeze out a winning total of 720kgs against challenger Hardat Tarson (Squat 275kgs, Bench Press 160kgs, Deadlift 280kgs, Total 715kgs).
Competing in the 74kg category was Paul Adams who recorded a Squat of 195kgs, Bench Press 140kgs, Deadlift 235kgs and Total 570kgs.
Ruling the roost in the 93kg class was 2014 Caribbean gold medalist Mariano Jeffrey whose commanding performance saw him set new National records in the Squat 272.5kgs, Bench Press 165kgs, Deadlift 245kgs and Total 682.5kgs to beat Nigel Phillips (Squat 275kgs, Bench Press 155kgs, Deadlift 230kgs, Total 660kgs).
Seventy-one year-old Nairanjan Singh based in the USA returned home to compete claiming the records in Masters 4 (93kg category) with lifts of Squat 142.5kgs, Bench Press 120kg, Deadlift 172.5kgs, Total 435kgs.
The 105kg class saw seasoned campaigner and former Caribbean champion Karel Mars despite lifting below par achieve a Squat of 275kgs, Bench Press 165kgs, Deadlift 285kgs, Total 725kgs out lifted Fazim Abdool (Squat 272.5kgs, Bench Press 182.5kgs, Deadlift 250kgs, Total 705kgs.
Claiming third was Jagdesh Budhram with a Squat of 215kgs, Bench Press 132.5kgs, Deadlift 250kgs, Total 597.5kgs.
The120kg class saw the much anticipated heavyweight match up between Colin ‘Mr. Clean’ Chesney representing Upper Demerara and 2014 National champion Farouk Abdool of Berbice having the respective supporters urging the lifters on as they battled each other tallying a same squat lift of 320kgs before Chesney inched ahead with a Bench Press of 205kgs to Abdool’s 200kgs.
Chesney was again better in the Deadlift powering to 290kgs and Total of 815kgs to Abdool’s 282.5kgs and Total of 802.5kgs.
The lone Classic/Raw category 120+kg class lifter Rondel Clementson (lifting without support gear continues to improve despite being the solitary unequipped lifter as well as sole competitor with a squat of 235kgs, bench press of 147.5kg, dead lift of 277.5kg and total of 660kgs).
Sponsorship for the day’s event was provided by New GPC Inc., Sterling Products, International Pharmaceutical Agency and Banks DIH Limited. The lifters were also presented with monetary stipends to offset their training costs.

---

---