Kiwi powerlifter Evie Corrigan wins gold at world champs

INTERNATIONAL POWERLIFTING FEDERATION

Evie Corrigan wins gold in breaking two world records at the World Powerlifting Championships and breaks two world records.

Kiwi powerlifter Evie Corrigan has broken two world records at the world powerlifting champs and says it proves women can be strong.

Corrigan's two world records won her gold in the junior women's event at the 2018 World Classic Powerlifting Championships in Calgary, Canada.

The 22-year-old, who hails from Christchurch, competed in three separate lifts - the squat, bench and deadlift - setting two junior world records in the squat as well as her total of 385.5kg which covered all three disciplines.

Corrigan wrote on Facebook she was surprised with the result, but it was good to prove she had the ability.

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"I still can't really believe it happened but I do have the medals to prove it.

"As if that wasn't already above and beyond what I could have hoped for I also set two junior world records in squat and total."

A Japanese lifter set the pace with 140kg, the world squat record, but Corrigan, with a previous best of 132.5kg, caused an upset with a lift of 140.5kg and her rival couldn't better it. 

"I didn't expect to break the record because the Japanese lifter actually put in a nominated squat of 150 which means that's what she's lifted before," Corrigan told Radio New Zealand.

"She couldn't pull it out on the day which is crazy and amazing for me."

Corrigan said the sport was becoming more popular for women and she was happy to set a standard for others.

"People don't expect females to be strong, especially small females, but I kind of love to prove them wrong." 

"The sport is becoming more popular, especially among women in Auckland - it's great to feel powerful and show people what you can do," she told Radio New Zealand.

Corrigan, who weighs in at 51.8kg and was making her international debut, hopes to compete for New Zealand again in the open division.

Corrigan was part of a 23-person New Zealand contingent that travelled to Canada. Teammate Shehnaz Hussain finished ninth in the same under-53kg division.