USAWA

By Bill Clark

Clark’s Gym was the site of a major weightlifting competition on Saturday past and the occasion produced one of the most amazing performances ever.

The performer was Dave Hahn, the 84-year-old you met in this corner a couple of weeks ago. He was joined on center stage by Boone County Northern District Commissioner, Janet Thompson, who won the women’s title in the Steve Schmidt Backbreaker Pentathlon, a major competition in the International All-Round Weightlifting Association, which involves the five heaviest competitive lifts in the IAWA and its stateside affiliate, the United States All-Round Weightlifting Association (USAWA).

The five lifts – back lift, harness lift, hip lift, hand-and-thigh lift and the neck lift. None are usually associated with lifters on the far side of 80 years on this Earth.

Hahn, who weighed only 136 pounds, did a harness lift with 1,125 pounds, a hip lift with 950, a back lift with 900, a hand-and-thigh with 500 and a neck lift with “only” 350. He failed with 400, a weight he had done in his younger days of six weeks ago.

His competition included Harrisburg’s John Carter, the world record holder in the hip lift and one of the greatest chain lifters of all time; Abe Smith, the 2021 USAWA national champion; and Dave DeForest, who was a medalist in the three major IAWA/USAWA championship meets in 2021; plus a pair 20-somethings on their way up the championship ladder – Travis Luther and Nick Frieders.

Making his first start in this competition was Tony Lupo, a powerlifter in earlier days, who has become involved in the USAWA world, which counts at least 160 different lifts in its rule and record book. Lupo, who leads the Atmospheric Science Department at the University of Missouri and serves as the chairman of the Boone County Republican Central Committee and president of the state Pachyderm Club, had done only one of the five lifts involved and both survived the day and surprised himself with success in the back lift.

The 55-year-old weatherman made a back lift with 1,250 pounds, breaking the record in the 110-kilo class in the 55-59 age group held by none other than the guy writing this column. Ol’ Clark sat this one out and officiated and kept score and enjoyed seeing Lupo break his record. Records are set to be broken

Steve Schmidt, for whom the competition was named, served as the main official and lead storyteller. He also twisted a few horseshoes, bent nails, tore license plates with his teeth, and rolled up a brand new frying pan.

That frying pan became Hahn’s championship trophy. It will be presented to him Friday in Kansas City at a lunch gathering of old strength athletes. The rolled-up frying pan, which has a diameter hardly bigger than a broom handle, is a unique award.

Hahn, who seldom speaks during a competition, commented that he didn’t lift more weights than everyone there, thus he wasn’t the best lifter. The USAWA uses both a bodyweight and an age adjustment so that lifters can compete across the age and weight differences, using charts that are based on years of records and does an outstanding job of giving an old guy or a little guy a chance to compete with those who have the advantage of youth.

In the Backbreaker Pentathlon, Smith, age 40 and 180 pounds, had the highest raw total for the day – 6,510 pounds. Carter. age 63, weighed 214 and totaled 6,265 pounds. Hahn’s raw total was 3,825 pounds at 136 pounds. Luther, 29, and 165 pounds, was a very close third with a 6,195 total.

When the bodyweight coefficient was applied, Smith, who graduated from Hickman High School and the University of Missouri, still led the parade, barely ahead of Luther, with Carter third and Hahn next to last.

Then the age differential took over and Smith, at 40, received one per cent; Luther received nothing because age differential doesn’t begin until a lifter’s 40^th birthday anniversary. Carter then used 24 percent of his total added back to that total and finished ahead of Smith and Luther.

The USAWA then adds two per cent a year for each year beginning with age 66. Hahn received a total of 63 per cent and with it – the title.

Well earned!

Here’s what Dave, an engineer who holds two masters’ degrees and a doctorate, had to say:

“I’m amazed that I was the winner of such a prestigious event as the Schmidt Backbreaker. It doesn’t seem fair to really strong guys such as John Carter and Abe Smith. Maybe the USAWA needs to re-think its handicap formulas.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the meet and I’m glad to see some young guys such as Travis Luther and Nick Frieders with great potential taking up the sport.”

Dave may have been surprised that he won, but he was the only one in the house that joined his line of thought.

Have you ever noticed how greatness is usually humble?

Following are the final standings:

The three official system is used for all lifts.

Officials: Steve Schmidt, Dave DeForest, Bill Clark, Abe Smith.

All lifts are recorded in pounds, as is the total. Adj is the adjusted score after Lynch and Age adjustment.  All national records set within the meet are denoted with an asterisk *. All lifts done in the record setting portion of the meet are assumed to be national records.

Name			Age	Age Category	Bwt	Weight Class	Back	Neck	H&T	Hip	Harness	Total	Adj. total
Dave	Hahn		84	80	136	65	900*	350	500*	950*	1125*	3825	7118.89
John	Carter		63	60	214	100	1200	245	900	1705	2215*	6265	6586.45
Abe	Smith		40	40	180	85	1350*	400	1085*	1500	2205*	6510	6216.92
Travis	Luther		29	Senior	165	75	1650*	245	900	1400	2000*	6195	6200.57
Dave	DeForest		61	60	192	90	1300*	400	855*	1200	1500*	5255	5894.62
Nick	Frieders		21	Senior	154	70	1205	245	900	1100	1400	4880	5109.36
Tony	Lupo		55	55	235	110	1100	200	501	950	1200	3751	3571.01
WOMEN’S DIVISION
Janet	Thompson		64	60	155	75	300*	115*	190*	425*	515*	1655	1613.14
Successful fourth attempts:
Tony	Lupo		Backlift		1250

Record attempts outside of the meet:

Abe Smith

clean and press-Fulton Bar – 185

clean and push press-Fulton Bar – 205

clean and jerk-Fulton Bar – 225

snatch-Fulton Bar – 165

CLEAN & PRESS, REVERSE GRIP- 190

 

Dave DeForest

Zercher-1 arm-right -160

Zercher-1 arm-Left-175

Deadlift-Inch Dumbbell-right-88

Hack Lift-1 arm-Right-165

Curl-cheat-2 dumbbells- 100 lbs