Extrifit Benchpress & Deadlift International Cup 2019 - report with results

On Saturday 31 August, the sixth edition of the traditional summer cup competition in bench-press and deadlift took place in Vrchlabí, whose general partner this year was the company EXTRIFIT. More than 140competitors took part in the competition and measured their strength in the individual age categories of both strength disciplines as well as in the competition of three-person teams in the deadlift.

The competition offered not only intense competition in all categories, but also outstanding performances reaching world-class standards. The best competitors could look forward to a large number of material prizes and even valuable prize money, which the organizing association Powerlifting Vrchlabí prepared for the absolute winners in bench-press and deadlift as well as for the winning team in the team competition.

The international character of the competition was especially evident in the battle for the absolute victory in the bench-press, which was finally won by a large margin by the Polish competitor Malgorzata Halas-Koralewska with an impressive performance of 137.5 kg at 61 kg body weight. The battle for the second place in the bench-press was fought by Michal Kadlec and Svatopluk Vobejda, a triathlete, bodybuilder and strongman in one person. Vobejda was luckier in the end, as he pushed 220 kg compared to Kadlec's 235 kg, but thanks to his lower body weight he became the best male bench-pressman of the whole competition.

Equally interesting and exciting was the fight for the absolute victory in the deadlift. It was finally taken bythe junior competitor Martin Dvoracek, who at the age of 22 and at 96 kg body weight managed to pull an incredible 355 kg, which was also the highest achieved performance of the whole competition! The silver position was won by the local Martin Havlicek for pulling 332.5 kg ahead of the bronze Jiri Balaban, who at 75 kg of body weight recorded more than a respectable 272.5 kg. The high level of the competition is also evidenced by the fact that the 300 kg deadlift limit was broken by many competitors in Vrchlabí several times.

Dvořáček's absolute victory in the deadlift gave some indication of the development in the team competition. His Powercrew team, in which he joined Matěj Syrovátka and Klara Haičmanová, fought a thrilling battle with the A team of Martin Havlíček, Richard Novotný and Juraj Kačmárik from Vrchlabí. The victory in the team competition was finally won by Powercrew, who took away a luxurious travelling cup and prize money for the winning team. The second place went to the Vrchlabí A team and the bronze went to the Vrchlabí B team consisting of Andrej Ondruš, Michal Kadlec and Lukáš Tesar.

Complete results by individual categories in bench-press and deadlift (women, juniors, open up to 90, open over 90 kg and masters) can be found in the tables in the link.

The competition was also honoured by the visit of the President of the Senate of the Czech Republic, Mr. Jaroslav Kubera, and his Senate colleague and Mayor of Vrchlabí, Mr. Jan Sobotka. Both Senators wished the competitors well in their endeavours and expressed their admiration for the excellent competition performances.

All the competitors provided a truly attractive spectacle and together with the spectators and the organizers they managed to create a truly incredible racing atmosphere, which culminated especially during the most difficult deadlift attempts. Before the ceremony itself, Aleš Bursa, a professional bodybuilder of the IFBB federation, also presented a bodybuilding exhibition to the audience, and his performance definitely made the day's triathlon routine more interesting. In the end, the competition was watched by more than 500 spectators on site throughout the day and even more than 700 people watching online.

You can also look forward to an official video-report in the near future, which we will also keep you updated on our website.

More photos can be found HERE