Three Athletes Shatter Powerlifting World Records at American Pro

The American Pro Proves Powerlifting’s Ceiling Is Moving

The American Pro is an elite powerlifting competition where top lifters across multiple weight classes gather to test raw strength under strict judging, and its latest edition stood out because three athletes set new all-time world records in total or squat that reshaped expectations for what is possible in modern raw lifting. That is the real story in Richmond, Virginia: powerlifting’s ceiling moved. John Haack in the U100KG class, Brittany Bowles in U60KG, and Marina Castillo Pardo in U67.5KG did more than win their divisions; they changed the record books and gave the sport fresh momentum. For serious lifters and fans who follow powerlifting world records, the 2026 American Pro was the kind of meet that forces you to reconsider what you thought was elite.

John Haack’s 1,044kg Raw Total Redefines the U100KG Standard

John Haack’s performance in the 100-kilogram class was less a contest and more a statement: the U100KG raw total record now lives in a different neighborhood. He put together a 1,044-kilogram (2,301.6-pound) raw total all-time world record, with huge numbers in every lift and enough control to pass on his final squat after securing a U100KG national squat record at 380 kilograms (837.8 pounds). His bench run—232.5, 250, and 265 kilograms—was efficient and flawless, while deadlifts of 365 and 399 kilograms locked up the record before a missed final attempt. It matters that he missed one deadlift and skipped a squat yet still broke the raw total record; that shows how far ahead he is of the field and raises the bar for what counts as “elite” in this class.

Brittany Bowles Shows What an U60KG Raw Total Record Really Costs

If Haack’s record shows the top end of male raw totals, Brittany Bowles’ U60KG triumph shows the grind behind world records in lighter classes. Cutting from 152.4 pounds down to a 131.34-pound weigh-in, then struggling to regain all that lost weight despite “consuming nearly 2000 carbs,” she arrived at the platform under less-than-ideal conditions yet still produced a 581-kilogram (1,280.9-pound) raw total all-time world record. Her day was far from smooth: after strong squats at 205 and 215 kilograms, she missed 222.5 kilograms and admits it made the record feel in doubt. But she answered with a perfect bench series—127.5, 132.5, and 137.5 kilograms—and a pressure-filled deadlift climax, finishing with 228.5 kilograms for the record. That arc, from missed squat to record total, is exactly why this performance matters for competitive lifters watching the U60KG class.

Marina Castillo Pardo’s Historic Squat Proves Depth of Talent

The third record of the meet did not come from a total but from a single lift that will echo through the U67.5KG class: Marina Castillo Pardo’s 227.5-kilogram (501.6-pound) raw squat all-time world record. Opening with 205 kilograms and then 220 kilograms, she built momentum the old-fashioned way—steady jumps, clean execution, nine successful attempts across the meet, and no drama on the platform. Her third squat was textbook: belt, knee sleeves, controlled descent to depth, and a confident lockout for the record, nudging past the previous 227-kilogram mark. While she finished second overall in her division with a 557.5-kilogram total and a 596.73 DOTS score, that result underlines the point: at the American Pro, world record holders can still be pushed. For fans tracking powerlifting world records, Pardo proves that the middle weight classes are as stacked with talent as the heaviest ones.

What These Records Mean for Powerlifting’s Future

Taken together, Haack’s U100KG raw total record, Bowles’ U60KG raw total record, and Pardo’s U67.5KG squat record show a sport that is maturing across the board, not just at the superheavy or open levels. Multiple weight classes produced all-time marks in the same elite powerlifting competition, which signals a broad base of talent and a culture that rewards precision as much as brute strength. These lifts matter for anyone who cares about training goals: they reset what competitive totals look like, and they highlight the costs—missed attempts, hard cuts, long meet schedules—that sit behind every record. For lifters chasing their own raw total record in local or national meets, the American Pro is more than a spectacle; it is a roadmap showing that the new standard is not “big for your bodyweight,” but world-class, regardless of class.