Lift for Leroy VI
By Eric Todd
Vacancy on the executive board
The executive board’s at-large member, Abe Smith, has chosen to step down. He has done a great job and we thank him for his work. This leaves a vacancy in the board which cannot be filled through an election until next year’s National Meeting—meaning the board needs to appoint somebody in his place for the remainder of the term.
The board is now seeking nominations, including self-nominations. There are no special qualifications to become an At-large board member; the whole idea is that they are a “regular” member, who serves alongside the officers (President, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer) to ensure broad representation of the membership.
The most significant duty of an At-large board member is to participate in discussions and votes about USAWA business, typically over email. Board members should also plan to attend the National Meeting (held in conjunction with the National Championships) when possible.
ARTICLE 12 – DUTIES OF THE AT LARGE EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS
A. Attend the National Meeting and meetings of the executive board.
B. Represent the USAWA at meetings of the IAWA.
C. Serve on the executive board.
If you are interested in being considered for the At-large executive board seat, please contact the Secretary (me) at bethskw@gmail.com. I’m also happy to answer questions about the position.
Walpole Record Breaker Day
Another record day in October!
Date: October 12, 2024
Location: Frank’s Barbell Club, Walpole, MA
Meet director: Frank Ciavattone
USAWA (Age Adjusted) Lynch Factor – Part IV and V
by Sanjiv Gupta
In Part I and Part II, I presented my understanding of age and weight correction history. Part III
explored the categories of lifts and whether Age Adjusted Lynch Factor totals could reasonably
compare heavy lifts and special equipment lifts being contested in the same event.
Part IV will take a look at a gender adjustment to compare the entire field, and then Part V will conclude the series with a satirical look at other potential correction factors such as
height, training age, limb lengths and hand size.
Until recently, women and men competed in USAWA in separate fields. In small events, women often find
themselves without another competitor and unable to enjoy an exciting competition. Could women and men compete in a combined field with only the (Age Adjusted) Lynch Factor?
I would argue that depending on the lift, women and men could compete fairly in a combined
field without an additional multiplier. However, lifts that are driven by upper body muscle mass, women should receive an additional multiplier.
From a laypersons perspective I also see the following:
- Women 13 and under would not need a correction.
- Master’s women would need a larger correction than 1.33 to compete with master’s
men. - Junior women 14-18 and senior women have the strongest case for a flat multiplier.
IAWA uses a 1.33 gender multiplier to increase the adjusted total for a lift
performed by a woman and can then compare total adjusted poundage to crown an overall
winner. This 1.33 was adopted by the USAWA in 2024 and I am curious to see how the addition
to official scoring will affect meets. The obvious hope is that participation in all around increases
and we have more exciting competitions.
USAWA (Age Adjusted) Lynch Factor – Part V
Part V concludes the series with some potential correction factors that would make the lives of
meet directors absolutely miserable.
What about height? Shorter athletes could have an advantage in abdominal raises and the
Allen lift with the shorter lever being activated by the abdominals.
What about training age? Should USAWA offer novice categories? Strongman competitions
often have novice categories with lighter weights to attract new athletes while they are still
learning the movement.
What about limb lengths? The best deadlifters would have short legs and long arms. It is only
fair to provide a multiplier for athletes with long legs and short arms.
What about hand size? The Fulton barbell would feel tiny to an athlete with 9 inch hands and
that athlete should receive a reductive multiplier.
Old Time Strongman Championship-Results
By Eric Todd
This Saturday past saw the 13th annual Old Time Strongman Championship. There was no championship held in 2020, due to the pandemic. It was on track to being the best attended OTSM championships, but due to illness, work obligations and other matters, we fell short of tying the top set in 2017 and 2023 by one competitor.
The day was a beautiful one in God’s country. the conditions of the ole tin can were tolerable. The weights were heavy, and the competitors were ferocious. I do not know when I have seen a more determined group. Many a time, I saw lifts that felt like they were going to fail, but the will of the competitor would not be denied. That is the stuff that keeps me hanging around.
We started off with the Saxon Snatch. The men’s division was dominated by Chad Ullom and Chris Todd. They both were successful with 90 pounds. That is not too far off the all time mark of 110 set by Scott Tully in 2016. The fight of the day was Everett Todd’s 30 pounds. He was denied several times for a lockout before finally making a clean lift. In the women’s division, the top lift was a 60 pound effort by Stacy Todd.
We then moved to the Habecker Lift, named after the honorable president Denny Habecker, who was MIA due to an illness. This lift almost crippled me once. Chad Ullom again had the top mark in the men’s division with 405 pounds. The women’s class saw the youngster Lilly Todd outdistance her ma 215# to 190#.
The third lift was the Apollon’s Lift. a clean and press with a two-inch bar. The slight slant of the platform and the slope of the roof (believe me, there is a learning curve on that one) saw some people struggle with this one. Chris Todd easily set the top mark in the men’s class with a 175 pound effort. The lift of the day, though was from his daughter Lillian. The 2-inch bar gave her fits in the clean. In her last attempt, it appeared there was no way she would get the lift after multiple failures to clean it. With time winding down, she executed the clean, and finished off the press for the best effort in the women’s division of 90 pounds.
The last lift of the day was the Kennedy Lift. This is the lift in which we expected the highest poundage’s. Chad outdistanced the men’s field by almost 300 pounds, hitting a 705 pound effort. Stacy Todd bested the women’s division by 125 pounds. There were some stupid efforts in this lift. It was clear everone was going for broke to finish the meet.
Official results are as follow:
Old Time Strongman Championship
ET’s House of Iron and Stone
Turney, MO
September 9, 2023
Meet Director: Eric Todd
Meet Announcer: Eric Todd
Score Keeper: Chris Todd
The three Official system was used for all lifts
Official: Eric Todd, Dave Glasgow
Loaders: Eric Todd, Dave Glasgow and most of the lifters
All lifts are recorded in pounds, as is the total. Adj is the adjusted score after Lynch and Age adjustment.
Lifts: Saxon Snatch, Habecker Lift, Apollon’s Lift, Kennedy Lift