Match Update – Powerlifting – May 8
Some may consider powerlifting a male sport but it showed its feminine side in today’s qualifiers as women lifters attempted to out muscle each other, much to the enjoyment of friends and families who cheered and clapped loudly and enthusiastically from their seats in the atmospheric HP Field Hose venue.
Fighting for a place in tomorrow’s finals of the men’s and women’s heavy and lightweight lifting divisions, it was the women who pushed each other to higher and heavier weights in a bid to out lift each other.
Women heavyweight lifters who drew strong vocal support in the escalating power lift off, included Canada’s Natacha Dupuis and Christine Gauthier, the Netherland’s Kelly Gerritsen, the UKs Kelly Layden-Turner and Heather Cook from New Zealand.
The strength shown by the women power lifters was warmly appreciated by friends and relatives and marked another milestone for women in one of the most male sports.
The battle for the title of strongest male and female athletes at the Games will be a dramatic one judging by the high standard of lifting on display at today’s eliminations, and will set the scene of a dramatic and tense final tomorrow.
