Author Archives: Al Myers

World Postal Championships

By Al Myers

2018 IAWA World Postal Championships “The Andy Goddard Memorial” August 31st, 2018

Lifts: Front Squat, Clean and Press Behind Neck, 1H Barbell Snatch, 1H 2” Dumbbell Deadlift

MEET REPORT, BY PROMOTER AL MYERS

The 2018 IAWA World Postal Championships was a huge success, with 42 lifters entered from the United States, England, Scotland, Wales and Australia. This Postal Championships is one of three (with Worlds and the Gold Cup being the other two) promoted by IAWA.   I want to REALLY thank all those that participated. Your participation is what makes this a great event!  As per the tradition the past few years, the lifts of the first day Worlds were contested.  I’ve included all class winners and best lifters, individual overall rankings for men and women, 3 person team rankings for men and women, and club rankings.  I want to congratulate the OVERALL BEST INDIVIDUAL LIFTERS – Men’s Steve Sherwood and Women’s Kat Becker. Overall winners in the 3 – Person Team Championships are WOMEN – Western Australia (Kat Becker, Miriam Phillips, and Racheal Hin) and MEN – Granby Grippers (Mark Shaw, Steve Andrews, and Steve Sherwood).  The OVER CLUB CHAMPION is the Dino Gym (RJ Jackson, Crystal Diggs, John Douglas, Chad Ullom, Al Myers, LaVerne Myers, Dean Ross and Brandon Rein).  Again, I want to thank everyone for entering this meet and making it an outstanding annual event in IAWA.

RESULTS: 2018 World Postal Results

Worlds Update

By Steve Gardner

Venue entrance for the 2018 IAWA World Championships

Venue entrance for the 2018 IAWA World Championships

31 Days to go …….

The World Championships – a few details…

Venue: Eastbourne Sports Park, Cross Levels Way, Eastbourne BN21 2UF Please note: Sat Nav users that the postcode is shared with Sussex Downs College, make sure you use the Cross Levels way entrance! (See photo)

Friday Evening 7pm – The IAWA World Council Meeting …..meeting is at the Venue (usually lasts about one hour total)

Lifting on Saturday Weigh-in will open at 9am with lifting starting at 11am

Lifting on Sunday Weigh-in will open at 9am with lifting starting at 11am (You are only required to weigh-in on day 2 if you will be attempting records)

Sunday Evening

The Awards Dinner and Presentation – This is the jewel in the Crown of the Worlds, the Star studded event of the weekend – After Dinner, it is time for the presentation of all of the Awards, and Best Lifter Awards (plus a little something very special that will happen on the night – can’t say what it is, it would ruin the surprise…..(but you won’t want to miss it I can assure you)

We will be hoping to have the presentations over by 9pm ish so that anyone who has to set off for home on the evening has a fighting chance of getting back not too late

Banquet Details:

The Afton Hotel, 2-8 Cavendish Place, Eastbourne, BN21 3EJ Start time is 7pm for the Dinner, we don’t like to be too late starting – in order to get the presentations over by 9pm

Age Correction

By Al Myers

One of the unique aspects of the USAWA/IAWA is the use of age correction in calculating total scoring points. This is done after applying the Lynch Formula for bodyweight corrections in the total scoring points.  The intent of the age correction is to provide, in a sense, a handicap to older lifters to “level the playing field” against younger lifters to provide a more fair comparison.  I am not going to get into the debate here on whether this is totally fair or not, or the discussion if older lifters should even get a scoring advantage. This is just the way scoring has always been done since the beginning of the organization.

Right now as I am busy tabulating the scores from the IAWA World Postal Championships it  got me thinking how confusing this age correction scoring adjustment can be.  Adding to the confusion is the fact that the age correction is different between the USAWA and the IAWA-UK/IAWA.  I hope to clarify this today!

USAWA AGE CORRECTION

Lifters at the age of 40 receive an added 1% per year (which includes year 40).  This age correction applies to the total points after the Lynch Formula (bodyweight) correction is made.

IAWA/IAWA-UK AGE CORRECTION

Lifters at the age of 40 receive an added 1% per year (which includes the age 40) till the age of 66. At the age of 66 a lifter receives 2% per year (which includes the age 66). This age correction applies to the total points after the Lynch Formula (bodyweight) correction is made.

At the IAWA Annual World Council Meeting in 2009, this Age Correction was passed by the membership. Before this the IAWA-UK used an age correction of 1% starting at age 36, till age 66 where the added 2% was added.  Also, at IAWA competitions before that either the USAWA age correction system or the IAWA-UK age correction system was used, depending on who was doing the scorekeeping. I remember being part of the motion to merge the two age correction systems in IAWA so that we would have scoring consistency in the future.  Shortly after this the IAWA-UK adopted the IAWA Age Correction system, so it is just the USAWA that does things differently on this now. I thought at the time the USAWA would soon change to the IAWA Age Correction, but that has never been brought to the USAWA meeting floor.

Lifter of the Month – Mary McConnaughey

By Al Myers

Mary Mac setting up to perform a big lift on the Pinch Grip Deadlift at the 2018 USAWA Grip Championships.

Mary Mac setting up to perform a big lift on the Pinch Grip Deadlift at the 2018 USAWA Grip Championships.

The USAWA LIFTER OF THE MONTH for March has been awarded to Mary McConnaughey!

Mary made a return to the USAWA at the USAWA Grip Championships in Feb at the Dino Gym, and turned in a great day of lifting.  Mary has been a stalwart competitor in the USAWA, and despite having some physical hardships the past few years, still lifts with the utmost enthusiam.  I have never been around someone who motivates the other lifters the way Mary does – her presence alone increases the poundages of everyone in the meet!

I can not think of anyone more deserving of this recognition.  Congrats Mary!

Lifter of the month – Eric Todd

By Al Myers

Eric Todd in training with a huge Hip Lift.

Eric Todd in training with a huge Hip Lift.

The USAWA LIFTER OF THE MONTH for February, 2018 goes to Eric Todd, of the KC Strongman USAWA Club.

Eric bested a very strong field of lifters in the 2018 Dino Gym Challenge, aka as the “Tom Ryan Memorial” this year.  Eric and the KC Strongman crew have been mainstays at my promotions and USAWA events they promote over the past few years. Much of this has to do with Eric and his leadership.  Eric has taken over as the “Heavy Lifts” odds-on favorite in the USAWA over the past few years.   In this Dino Gym Challenge, Eric overtook the leaders on the last lift of the day, the Hip Lift, with a superb lift of 2010 pounds!

I give a BIG CONGRATS to ET on being selected as the Lifter of the Month!

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