Feelgood Spa Powerlifting Challenge

Yesterday week, the Feelgood Wellness Spa organised and hosted a friendly Powerlifting contest for its strongest members. The 2007 Feelgood Powerlifting Challenge was well attended by friends, family, Feelgood members, and some enthusiastic residents at the Preluna Hotel. The competition was overseen by officials Georgei Manolov and Dmitry Popovic.

Powerlifting competitions consist of attempts at maximal weights in three exercises: the squat (the legs must bend until the thigh is below parallel to the floor), bench press (the bar must come into contact with the chest and pause there for one second before pressing), and deadlift. The best attempts at each lift are added for a total. Points are calculated using a formula that also takes into account the lifters, age and bodyweight.

This year's Feelgood champion Erton Caruana snatched first place with some exciting lifting. In the deadlift, Caruana picked up nearly two-and-a-half times his own bodyweight in his final attempt at 165 kg. He posted a final total of 395 kg, which at a bodyweight of 67 kg earned him 305 points. In second place was 69 kg rival Sean Galea. Both lifters continuously jockeyed for the first place trophy throughout the competition. Galea started off with an impressive 135 kg squat, and ended the competition with a total of 379 kgs for 285 points.

Nikolai Borg won the crowd's support with his final deadlift attempt which was a valiant struggle against 145 kg. A lift that normally takes no more than several seconds to complete, turned into a drawn out war as the bar inched agonisingly slowly off the floor and up into its final position. He lifted a total of 355 kg, which at a bodyweight of 68.5 kg secured him the 3rd place trophy with 270 points.

In fourth place and keeping all the younger lifters under constant pressure was veteran Nick Matthews. He lifted 100 kg in his final bench press attempt and barely broke a sweat. He went on to register an impressive total of 300 kg for 255 points.

The crowd was also entertained with some bar-bending poundages from the two guest lifters Matthew Muscat Inglott and Mario Mifsud.

Muscat Inglott lifted as part of his preparation for the upcoming British North East Championships in Yorkshire on Saturday. At a bodyweight of 80 kg, he accumulated 366 points with his final total of 540 kg. This is a comfortable 30 kg more than what he needs in Yorkshire to secure his place at the British National Championship Finals in Colchester next July.

National Junior record holder in the discus throw, athlete Mario Mifsud pitted his hulking 110 kg bodyweight against some awesome weights in his first competition of this kind. To the delight of the crowd, he picked up his final deadlift of 250 kg with ease, showing great potential to do some damage in the international unequipped heavyweight classes in the imminent future. He lifted a grand total of 615 kg for 361 points.