AWPC World Powerlifting Championships 2026 in the UK, Manchester – round up report

Internationals Schminternationals

The British Powerlifting Union team has been responsible for hosting a number of international powerlifting multiple day championships for the last 11 years. As the fastest growing and second biggest international WPC affiliate we have had the privilege to host two European Powerlifting Championships, one WPC World Powerlifting Championships with over 700 competitors, and this year hosting the AWPC World Powerlifting and Single Lift Championships for the third time!

Every major powerlifting competition has been different – and that includes running them in other countries. We daresay that each competition has been better than the previous. In 2016 we hosted the WPC European Powerlifting Championships in the UK in a plain sports hall with limited experience and limitless enthusiasm! Understaffed and facing a new challenge every day, the competition was finished mostly with luck and adrenaline. But, as crazy as it is, we loved it!

After that experience each time has been an upgrade. More experience, more attention to detail, more staff, better equipment, better tech, better lifter communication.

So much has changed, yet so little. What makes the team of British Powerlifting Union puff our chest with pride is the experience we offer. From the amazing production this year with the mega screen and flashy backdrops and professional full scale venues, sometimes you forget where we came from. We brought the first actual timetables to the UK in 2013, we brought the screens to the UK for lifters in holding areas and audiences, courtesy of Ano Turtiainen and seeing him doing it for the first time in the world in Finland in the early 2000’s and so many more firsts which thankfully other federations have adopted since.

Every lifter is a star on that stage. Every lift counts. That message from the start of the WPC to now still holds true, for us. Our spotters and loaders are admired far and wide for their encouragement and the fun they have on platform. Table staff are remembered by our guests for their cheek and and the referees… Well, I am afraid referees are generally not so much loved! But at least they are for most part appreciated for their pro-lifter approach .

The biggest AWPC World Championship to date!

2026 was the best one yet.

This is undoubtedly bragging, but it is true. The competition had more lifters and international countries than any previous AWPC Worlds. Despite the geopolitical  situation in the world, a host of countries attended. Some teams only had one lifter, but they came to fight! And more importantly, they left happy and richer in experience.

Like so many competitions, we really hope it looked smooth on the surface. Of course an event like that is never plain sailing with all the months of work, the entire system functioning and all the moving parts trying to work in sync. However, like an ethereal swan, as long as it looks smooth on the surface while the legs are going like the clappers under the surface, then our job is done.  This is all part and parcel of running a truly large, 400+ international event in this sport.

The difference was that we weren’t facing these problems for the first (or last) time, nor did anyone face them alone. Years have bestowed upon us a lot of trials, and in the long run it works in one’s favour.

Oh, and being in a hotel that has hosted us for more than ten times now and having a dedicated team of numerous, fabulous, raucous and mischievous crew that have done this a million times before doesn’t hurt either!

Right, enough patting our own backs! Time to move to the competition itself.

The AWPC World Championships actual bit………..

AWPC World Powerlifting Championships has always possessed an especially positive overall vibe. This year was no different. To be more precise, it was different. The vibe was even better than usual. 99% of the competitors were an absolute delight. The few who weren’t just highlighted the fabulousness of the others.

Through the week there was some courageous, gritty lifting. Sore disappointments. Elated victories. The always exhilarating last deadlift head-to-heads. And heaps and heaps of fun! The powerlifting championships brought some of the lost true fire to platform, in recent years the demons of the “competitive nature” have simmered quietly but this time we had some of the most ferocious, experienced and explosive lifting on platform in some time. The entire audience erupted in the last rounds of the womens classic RAW competition day, the powerlifting equipped and equipped bench only days, and a few of the head to head full on battles to the last deadlift.

Speaking of the crowd favourite one man delegation from Mongolia, the Internationals brought a distinct spice to the meet. Deep down determination what we remember as how it “used to be”.

The British powerlifting home team was, of course, the biggest, but Irish came in with a four dozen strong team and took home the best country trophy! They absolutely dominate the classes and Shane Brodie was like a proud Mother!

India managed to bring quite a few lifters. They were sometimes late, sometimes lost their belts, but they were a great addition to the show and as always gave the British powerlifters a run for their money.

 Team Egypt only managed to get a visa for one lifter, but what a lifter she was! Unassumingly shy-looking 60kg division tiny junior who outlifted everyone else in the meet and scored the highest Glossbrenner in Raw divisions, men or women! She had been lifting since she was 15 and benching some incredible weights for her age and bodyweight. Coached by Mohammed Said, the best powerlifter of all time in Egypt she has been put through her training for years, to finally be seen for the first time, at World Championships which for her was a huge deal. She was so very excited to be there although I think a lot of the competitors in her class were less pleased to see her!

The aforementioned Mongolian was exciting and excitable, and left as lasting of an impression as one man can on behalf of a whole country!

Poland, Germany, Finland, even South Africa (!), and many others were present with their teams. But the biggest show-stoppers award must go to team USA!

The American team brought in their crew known as Big Dogs: Special Olympians with varying degrees of disabilities and the best attitude in the sporting world! These guys stole the show. The energy, the fun, and the strength of the team is a true testament to the power of sports to cross boundaries. I don’t think anyone who has witnessed these lads lifting will ever look at adaptive sports the same way!

We had redemption matches as people who had close calls at the British had rematches in the Worlds stage, some ending in tears of joy and a friendly rivalry that will continue. We also hosted an open-for-all bench bash for cash, and what a meet that was! All time UK British raw bench record was broken, and John Pollard, unlimited equipment bench presser, who has pushed through stroke, diabetes, injuries and a boatload of adversity finally benched the magical 300 kilos barrier.

All in all the week was a triumph, and the team seemed extremely happy.