Local novice powers to title

GOLD: Novice Masterton powerlifter Jess Lucas took gold last weekend - along with two fellow athletes from the town -in her first outing at the Central Districts Regional Champs in Hastings. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Stunning debut by Masterton junior highlights regionals effort

A TRIO of Masterton powerlifters seized gold at the Central Districts Regional Champs in Hastings.

Novice junior 84 kg female Jess Lucas took gold and set three personal bests at the Hastings Fitness Centre on Saturday, while Masters 2 93kg lifter Colin McCarthy also took gold and came close to breaking the New Zealand deadlift record in his class, and 105kg sub-junior male Taine Hintz won gold and set two personal bests in his class.

Powerlifting consists of three events, the squat, deadlift and bench press, during which competitors lift successively heavier weights and their best lifts in each event comprise an overall total.

Competition is divided into two categories: equipped, which allows supportive clothing; and raw, which does not.

Team spokesman Tim Hintz, who will compete alongside fellow Masterton powerlifter Danny "Spike" Wilton at the CD Bench Press Champs on June 13, said the three medal-winning powerlifters were relative newcomers to the sport. Each had trained at Wai Weight Private Gym in Masterton and their success was reward for their hard work and commitment during training.

McCarthy was bound to soon take the New Zealand record of a 220kg deadlift in his class, after posting a 190kg lift on Saturday, Hintz said.

"He's done 230 at the gym and he had it in the bag but it was just on the day, it didn't quite happen. But I'm sure the New Zealand record will be his soon enough."

Lucas was a promising powerlifter who had excelled at the weekend event with a total of 290kg and was about to start her first "proper" training programme.

"It's pretty impressive to get three personal bests as a novice and she has a promising future ahead of her in the sport."

Hintz said his 16-year-old son Taine won his class with a total of 500kg over the three disciplines.

The young lifter was hot on the heels of his older brother and world champion sub-junior lifter Joel Hintz, who, aged 17, competed last year at the IPF Classic Powerlifting World Championships in South Africa, where he set a sub-junior world record squat of 265kg.

"Taine is steadily climbing in to the sport and he'll be a force to be reckoned with in another year or so for sure.

"He's following his brother and obviously he's got a few years on Joel but I think he will be there or thereabouts with some of his brother's records the way he's going."

Hintz said Masterton "per head of population must be right up there with the best in the country" with an "awesome" powerlifting community that included national and world champion powerlifter Brett Gibbs, 24, who set world records in the squat, bench press and overall total at the Pacific International invitational event held in Melbourne this month.