Was good seeing a few people here at the PA Nat yesterday. Markos is skinnier and less scary than I thought but is the same smart ass you expect of him on the forums.
The "skinny" impression I have of Markos is probably due to the venue. I'm 171cm, 80kg, not exactly a skinny guy and would be classified as "obese" if you go by BMI. At the venue, guys my height are usually 100kg meatheads, some even heavier! I feel really slim for the first time in my life.
Sat next to Greg & his mate for most of the afternoon & night. Cool - and very strong - fellas.
Most testosterone filled venue you can find. If you just sit there for an afternoon, your voice will deepen, your lifts will go up and you'll probably fail PA drug tests!
The 67.5 and 82.5 classes were very competitive. They have the most competitors and some were quite close after getting a subtotal, which resulted in a few insane 3rd deadlift attempts to win the comp.
Most impressive lifts I saw:
- A few blind lifters moving some unbelievable weights.
- A very old 75kg class lifter (I think he has to be at least 75 y.o?) deadlifting around 250kg.
- Another very old lifter in the 82.5kg class (Wim is his name) setting world records for over 70 years old in the squat (230-something) and deadlift (240?). He's quite a character. He was having a chat & a laugh with the lady judge while doing his opener! And went "this is too bloody heavy!" with a grin before breaking the world record for the second time (first time he forgot to inform the judges so it didn't count).
- Simon Chan (82.5 class) opening with 255kg deadlift. He got 270 in the 2nd attempt but couldn't get the 282.5 to win it. Good shot though.
- Jeremy Cocks (90kg class) from Perth benched RAW 150kg. He's a very impressive junior. Had he used a shirt, I think he would've won it.
- Jeremy Cocks deadlifted 275kg with ease. Had a go at 302.5kg to win the comp and set the Aus & Oceania record, got it to over his knees but dropped it.
If he'd had a higher subtotal, I think he could've pulled 290kg and won it.
Other bits:
- Everyone's favourite lifter is a little Japanese guy named Yoji. Had awesome battle cry
He really livened up the first half of the afternoon, which was fairly quiet, like a church, or conference.
- Some lifters selected too heavy openers, I feel, and subsequently struggled or even bombed.