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CAPO 2003 Pro Bench Competition
In March of 2002, as a direct result of a successful friendship/allegiance between IFBB Body-building promoter & gymnasium owner Tony Doherty, & CAPO President Barry Murray, the inaugural 'Pro. Benchpress' competition was held. All who competed/attended that day agreed it was a huge success, & looked forward in eagerness to the follow-up event in 2003. The venue, at the Melbourne Convention Centre is ideal, & the show, in it's entirety, followed suit for this year's competition. With numerous sponsors, & many, many athletes/spectators in attendance, 'twas sure to be a RIPPER..!!!!!! As mentioned elsewhere in other reports/articles on Australian Powerlifting, the standard of Benchpressing has never been higher in CAPO, & it's no surprise to members/followers of the sport that, with each competition held under CAPO's auspices, National, 'All-Time Australian' & WPC World Records attempted & (usually..!) broken has become the norm..! This year's meet was to be no exception, with numerous athletes attempting long-standing marks in the sport. In order of weight(s) attempted/lifted, it all went something like this..... At approximately 1pm, on a sunny Melbourne Saturday afternoon, the 15th of March, eight of Australia's Greatest-Ever lifters gathered at the site to do battle..!! After some 20 minutes of warm-ups, the stage was set..!! With head's held high, & the bar loaded to 180kg, Mr. Warren Rozen took to the weight. Referees Joanne Verikios, Mick Smythe & Ian Webb presiding, Warren, at 109.20 b'weight easily pushed his opening attempt to completion. Three white lights confirmed his entry into the competition..!! Training partner Marty Girvan, registering 120.7kg on the scales, followed on the same weight. Three whites again..!!! Two down, six to go with their opening attempts..!! Australia's All-Time Greatest, Mr. Laurie Butler, lifting in the 100kg division, set himself for 182.5kg & - again - got the whites..!! Laurie's now 56 years of age folks..!!!! WHAT A MAGNIFICENT LIFTER..!!!!!!!!! 200kg now on the bar for Sean Bostock. Another, along with Warren & Paul Nay training with Mr. Girvan, Sean is an impressive sight. 126.90 b'weight on his solid frame, Sean smoothly pushed his opener to a successful three-white-light greeting. No doubt much more to come from this lifter..!!! Great stuff, Sean..!!! Two lifters on 210kg for their 'entry' - Ange Galati & Henry Day. At the Queensland Nationals, August 2002, Ange went 218kg for a WPC WORLD RECORD, & rumors of bigger & better things were soon to be realized..!! His opener was mild & controlled, leaving little doubt as to what was to be..!!! Worth mentioning, at this stage, that Ange weighed in at 80KG..!!!!! WOW..!!!!! 30kg under TRIPLE BODYWEIGHT on an opening attempt..!!!!!! What was to come..?!?!?! Mason Jardine seemed positive prior to his opener, however, a bad miss set the stage for worse to come..!! 210 was completely non-co-operative, & looked ominous. A similar fate fell upon Henry Day (109.30kg) from W.A on 222.5, followed by another bad miss on 240(!) for Paul Nay (115 b'weight). Both excellent weights to begin their respective competitions with, but, sadly, both no-go's..!!!! On with the show..!!!! 191kg, for a NEW WPC WORLD MASTERS RECORD was now loaded on to the bar for Laurie Butler. Controlled & strong, it made it's way to the top for (yet again..) three white lights..!!!! HOORAY..!!!! Well done Laurie on your 500th (!?!?) WORLD RECORD..!!!!! YAY..!!!!!!!! 200kg was a solid second attempt for Warren Rozen, & met with the judge's approval. The stage was now set for a third of around 215-220, which would have put Mr. Rozen way up there in the rankings..!!! Hold on to your hat for his final attempt..!!!!! Marty Girvan's 202.5 was wobbly & non-compliant, so, unfortunately, met with failure. Undeterred, he went on to attempt more, but that's a story we'll reach in time..!!!!!! After a disastrous miss on an opener of 210, Mason Jardine called for 215kg. Amazingly, it too was fluffed, & wouldn't go..!!! What was happening..? Hitherto unseen in a lifter of his experience, & right out of character for him, thing's weren't looking good..!! Pre-comp. discussion of a WPC World Record of 235kg was now looking bleak..!!! Oh, dear..!!!!!! Two down, one attempt to go..!!!!!!! Two lifters on 220kg. Ange's opener indicated lifts in this range, therefore it came as no surprise that his effort on this weight was (again..!!) rewarded with white lights all-round..!! Sensible weights for an intelligent lifter - Well Done Ange..!!!! Unfortunately, Sean Bostock's shot at the same poundage didn't fare so well. It's not far away, though, & all credit to him for attempting a sub-500lb bench in his first major Powerlifting competition..!!!! GREAT STUFF..!!!!!!!!!! Henry Day's opener on 222.5 was badly missed, as was this current attempt of 235.5, presumably for a record. Pain in his wrist(s) was cited as a possible reason for failure, though, with one attempt to go, anything could happen..!!!!!!! At the Australian Benchpress Championships, in Perth, November 2003, Paul Nay successfully pushed 255kg, not only for the win, but also for the BIGGEST BENCH OF THE NIGHT..!!!!!! One of the GREATEST EVER in Australian Powerlifting History, it paved the way for possible 600lb +(272.5kg) attempts for 2003..!!!! Paul's second on 255 wasn't so 'understanding' on this day, so, with one attempt left, as in Henry's case, anything could happen..!!!!!!!!!!!! Also in the unenviable position of two misses of two opening attempts, the pressure was now on three of the top contenders for the day..!!!!! ARGH..!!!!!!!! Third attempts (for all) certainly sorted things out..!!!!! Laurie Butler, already with a WORLD RECORD to his credit, called for 200kg. Now, let's pause for a moment.. 97.90 b'weight, 56 years of age & 200kg on the bar - that's DOUBLE BODYWEIGHT (& A BIT.!!!) FOLKS..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What an attempt..!!!!!!! With the crowd roaring approval, it went nearly, nearly, nearly..Oh boy, it was THAT CLOSE..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What an effort..!!!!!!!!!!! A great day's lifting for an equally great lifter - no doubt rests in my mind why he's THE BEST...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WELL DONE, LAURIE..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mason Jardine with 215kg. For those of us who've ever had to stare adversity in the eye, looking straight down the barrel of a loaded gun, in other words, the feared BOMB-OUT, it's not pleasant experience..!!!!! Two bad misses from two previous attempts meant this was to be a do-or-die effort..!!! With Baz whipping up as much crowd support as possible, & providing the lift-out for Mas., 215 inched it's way down to the inescapable pause, & blew up - though, disastrously, not all the way..!!!!!!!!!! BLAST..!!!!!!!!! DARN IT..!!!!!!!!!!! Well, let's hope he's back stronger than ever for the '03 National Titles in Melbourne..!!!!!! GREAT EFFORT, MASON..!!!!!!!!!! Two lifters with final attempts on 220. Marty Girvan had missed his second on 202.5, but, allowably within Powerlifting rules, decided to up the weight. His third, unfortunately, suffered the same fate as his second, but, with an opener to his credit on the scoreboard, he was still in it..!!!!!! Another excellent day's lifting from Marty, with bigger & better things to come..!!!! Again, Well Done Sir..!!!!! Big Sean had missed 220 on his second, but, undaunted, (& unfortunately, to no avail..) tried again. Can't say what he's capable of, though I'm lead to believe that he's the Current Record Holder in the 'benchpressing community' of 'Girvan disciples' at their gymnasium. 260+ in times to come..? Who can say, though I'll wager I'm not too far away with my prediction..!!!! Go for it, Sean..!!!!!!!!!!! Two more on 227.5kg (501lb's..!!!!!). Ange's third & final attempt on this history-making weight deserves an entirely separate paragraph, so I'll continue on. Warren had put himself in a strong position with a successful second on 200kg. Looking more closely at his attempts, logic should have dictated a final on 215-217.5, though I'm guessing 227.5 would have been an Australian Junior Record, possibly to better his own..!!!! The weight lowered carefully, &, quite literally flew up, though, DISASTER STRUCK..!!!!! About two-thirds of the way to completion, TORN PECTORAL MUSCLE..!!!!!!!!!!!!! OUCH..!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whisked quickly off to hospital, the jury's still out on it's verdict - how serious..? We wait in anticipation of an outcome, & wish Warren a quick & complete recovery from the 'bane' of all Benchpressing champions..!!!! Well done, O Junior one..!!!!!!!!!!!! Another standing in Mason's unfortunate shoes was Henry Day. With two missed attempts, & facing an ultimatum to 'bring home the bacon' on his last shot, Henry called for 242.5kg, an increase of nearly 10kg(!!!!!!) over his failed second..!!!!! WOW, was this to be a show..!!!!! Again, the weight is steadily brought down to the paused position, though, CRASH..!!!!!!! Straight out of Henry's grip directly on to his chest..!!!!!! OW..!!!!!!!!!!! No serious injury, though, & all credit to the spotters/loaders in attendance..!!!! WELL DONE FELLAS..!!!!! Left to contemplate 'life' with Mason, Henry's day was now completed, albeit unsuccessfully. But, he'll be back, better than ever..!!!!!!!!!!! Directly following Henry's unfortunate attempt is Paul Nay. Yet another without a 'score on the board', Paul calls for a final earth-shattering attempt of...260KG..!!!!!!!!!!!! This, folks, if successful, will be the SECOND BIGGEST BENCHPRESS IN CAPO HISTORY..!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW..!!!!!!!!!! With all the 'crew' yelling encouragement, Mr. Nay lowers near-on 600lb(!) to his almighty mid-section, only to suffer the same fate as Henry, & prior to him, Mason as well..!!!!!!!!!! Lost at the very bottom of the lift, the spotters/loaders are again quick off the mark to prevent possible serious injury..!!!! Great job - AGAIN, WELL DONE FELLAS..!!!!!!!!!!!! Three top-line contenders, all of whom have now taken an 'early bath'..!!!!!!! ARGH..!!!!!!!!!!!! As mentioned previously, Ange's final attempt on 227.5kg, for a NEW WPC WORLD RECORD deserves a separate mention. For your author to properly give credit to this momentous happening, please allow me to quote some figures from the 'All-Time Top Ten', based upon the 'Reschel' Formula. In 1993, Australia's GREATEST EVER BENCPRESSER, Mr. Rod Sylvia set a WPC WORLD MASTERS RECORD with a mind-blowing 263.5kg @ 110 b'weight. As testament of his prowess in this lift, it stands even today, a truly GREAT END to a MAGNIFICENT Powerlifting career. On the 'All-Time Top Ten', this particular lift scores 233.19, 'til this day, the HIGHEST SCORE EVER in Australian Benchpressing History..!!!! Whilst I was aware a 227.5kg (or better.) in the 82.5 class would seriously challenge this phenomenal feat, it wasn't until I did my calculations post-competition that Ange's lift became the REAL DEAL..!!!!!!!!!! Read on.......!!! I'm plainly pleased to report that, on Saturday March 15, 2003, AUSTRALIAN POWERLIFTING HISTORY WAS CHANGED.!!!!!!!!!!!! At approximately 2pm that afternoon, a charged-up, capable & willing Mr. Angelo Galati requested 227.5kg (501lbs!!!) to be loaded on the bar..!!! It's now or never for him - IMMORTALITY BECKONS..!!!!!!!!! The crowd has reached a noisy crescendo as each & every neck strains to catch a glimpse of athletic performance AT IT'S BEST..!!!!!! With Baz (once again..) providing a precise lift-out, Ange lowers the bar, pauses, then sets off with pressing his way in to history..!!!!!!!! Everyone's gone 'troppo' with the weight inching it's way to lock-out, when, at it's most dangerous, it slows & nearly stalls-out..!!!!!!!!! However, from deep within, something, somewhere tells Ange to 'KEEP GOING', & GO IT DOES..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Locked out, & racked, all heads turn to the judge's lights, when, in a moment in time, THREE WHITES ILLUMINATE..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This, people, is the GREATEST BENCHPRESS IN AUSTRALIAN HISTORY..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Applause & near-on pandemonium breaks out as Ange rises from the bench to tumultuous ovation..!!!!! What a lift, & WHAT A LIFTER..!!!!!!!!!!!! 80kg b'weight - 227.5KG BENCHPRESS..!!!!!!!!! HOOO-EEEEE..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Out with the trusty pocket calculator, & our suspicions are confirmed - Ange's 227.5 in the 82.5kg division comes out as 234.097 on the Reschel Best Lifter Scale, beating Rod's almighty 263.5 @ 110 by almost one full point..!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW..!!!!! WELL DONE ANGE..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With barely a moment to catch our collective breaths, a fourth attempt, on the same weight, is called - by Mason..!! Whilst not strictly part of the competition proper, it's allowable, should the lifter concerned approach the head judge for permission. Now, we're aware Mason's already gone three times, albeit unsuccessfully, with 210+kg, so, this is gonna be interesting..!! His Oz Record stands at 225kg, set at the same event, one year previously. Again, whilst not a legitimate Record attempt, it'd be great to see him do it..!!!! Once more, finally, Baz provides the well-practiced lift-out, & it's the 'Mason Show'..!!!! With what could be best described as the award for 'The most determined lift ' for the day, 227.5 heads skyward in superb fashion..!!!! From my own vantage position, it seemed GOOD, though the judges dis-agreed..!!!! Oh, well - FULL MARKS for effort, & a job well done..!!!!!!!!! It's just a matter of time - perhaps the '03 Nationals..? - before we see 230+kg from Mr. Jardine..!!!! His near-success brought closure to the competition..!!!! What a day..!!!!! One WPC World Record, & one 'All-Time Greatest'' mark broken - who could ask for more?!?!?!?! Although some decided to depart rather hurriedly, a few remained to view the finals of the IFBB Pro. Body-Building show. The poster & lead-up to the event suggested the wait would be worthwhile, &, collectively, we weren't disappointed..!!! At 7pm that night, the evening show began. We watched with interest as our own Sharon Waters (CAPO Champion - 145kg Bench @ 82.5 b'weight..!!!!) took to the stage for battle in the 'Women's Body-Building' posedown..!!!! With what appeared to be stiff competition, she garnered 1st place in her division..!!!!! Well deserved, & well received..!!! Along with the obligatory winner's trophy came something extra. It was announced that she also had won the 'Encouragement' Award (The 'Frank Ciccino' Memorial trophy) for her outstanding effort.!!!!!!! WELL DONE SHAZZ..!!!!!!!!!! Her example goes all the way to prove, as Ange Galati has done so well, that the two sports of Powerlifting & Body-Building can be successfully combined..!!!!! We wish 'Shazza' all the best with her aspirations/goals for the future, & hope to see her back on stage soon enough, breaking records in her forte`, the Benchpress..!!! The 'All-Time Greatest' for a female powerlifter is Bev Francis' 150kg @ 82.5kg, so, we believe with just a little more time, Ms. Waters will become Australia's BEST EVER..!!!!!! GO FOR IT, SHAZZ..!!!!!! In closing, the usual 'crew' must be thanked for their help..!!!!! CAPO Vic. Prez. Chris Brown for lugging all the equipment to/from the venue, Mike Britain for...doing heaps.!!!!!!, & all three judges, Ms. Verikios, Messr's Smythe & Webb, &, of course, Tegan & Wendy Colliver for the scorer's table..!!!! Our National President, Mr. Barry Murray, provided lift-outs for most, if not all the lifters, & GREAT TO SEE former CAPO National Champ. Geoff Barclay & Australia's GREATEST EVER BENCHPRESSER Mr. Rod Sylvia in the audience..!!!!! Hope to see all of you at next year's competition - 'til then, safe training, & best wishes for all competitive outings for 2003..!!!!
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