Powerlifting contest in April
The Metal Madness powerlifting competition will take place at Hein's Gym in Dana Bay in April.
Powerlifting combines the three core disciplines of squat, bench press and deadlift.
The organiser of event, Jan Kruger told Mossel Bay Advertiser that a lifter has three attempts to complete each one of the lifts and the heaviest lift is aggregated to an overall total for the three disciplines.
"The lifter per weight class with the highest aggregate score wins but an overall winner is selected by using an algorithm that adjusts for the weight differential between lifters based on an international standard."
He said Metal Madness was mostly a developmental competition focused on cultivating talent and developing it to become the next generation of national and international lifters.
Hein and Alida Stander from Hein’s gym have been selected as the representatives for Rhino Powerlifting Club South Africa, affiliated to the Global Powerlifting Committee. Because of this affiliation they are able to host sanctioned powerlifting competitions that will qualify participants for provincial and national events at no further cost to the athletes.
Athletes will be able to break or set national records during Metal Madness 2024, which will be presided over by three national level referees, who are all elite powerlifters in their own right.
"We also have the reigning Elite Raw masters champion competing on 6 April and he will attempt to set an all-time best record for men over 60 in the 125kg weight class," Kruger said.
According to the international database this record is at 755.5 kg and was set by Mike Simpson from the USA in 2011. The closest anyone got to this was 720kg by Robert McKinzie of the United States in 2023.