France is famous for delicious wine, exquisite fine art and museums, and, of course — prolific powerlifters. On May 14-16 at the 2022 Fédération Française de Force (FFForce) Nationals, Samantha Eugenie (63KG) showed she could join the esteemed company of her fellow countrywomen Prescillia Bavoil and Tiffany Chapon.
During the meet, Eugenie captured four separate Junior National Records with a 182.5-kilogram (402.5-pound) squat, a 102.5-kilogram (226-pound) bench press, a 215-kilogram (474-pound) deadlift, and a 500-kilogram (1,102.5-pound) total. The French athlete wore a lifting belt and wrist wraps for her squat, and just wrist wraps and a belt for her bench press and deadlift, respectively.
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[Related: Powerlifter Nicolaas Du Preez (125KG) Logs 1037.5-Kilogram (2,287.3-Pound) Total For New PR]
While unofficial because it did not occur during an international competition, Eugenie also exceeded the active International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) Junior World Record with her deadlift by five pounds. Chiara Bernardi still holds the current figure with a 210-kilogram (463-pound) deadlift from the 2021 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships.
“Wow, I’m so happy, competition PR plus 50 kilograms. Hard work paid off.”
Here’s a complete rundown of each of Eugenie’s stats from the meet:
Samantha Eugenie (63KG) | 2022 FFForce Nationals Lift Stats
- Squat — 182.5 kilograms (402.5 pounds) | French Junior National Record
- Bench Press — 102.5 kilograms (226 pounds) | French Junior National Record
- Deadlift — 215 kilograms (474 pounds) | French Junior National Record | Unofficial IPF Junior World Record
- Total — 500 kilograms (1,102.5 pounds) | French Junior National Record
The overall performance marks Eugenie’s first time totaling at least 500 kilograms (1,102.3 pounds) in a full power meet. That follows her recent training output where she actually matched Bernardi’s Junior World Record deadlift in early May 2022. Eugenie also previously attained that deadlift mark in a February 2020 training session, when she was only 17-years-old. All that might be left for Eugenie to do now is to make the new record official on an international lifting platform.
Since beginning her career in late 2018, Eugenie has built quite a resume as a competitive powerlifter. Amid nine sanctioned meets, Eugenie has come in first place seven times, with another second-place finish.
According to Open Powerlifting, here are some of Eugenie’s more notable career results:
Samantha Eugenie (63KG)| Notable Career Results
- *2018 FFForce Premier Pas FA PL DC BP Grand Est (Sub-Juniors) — First place | Classic
- 2018 FFForce Départemental FA PL DC BP Grand Est (Sub-Juniors) — First place | Classic
- 2019 FFForce Eliminatoires Jean Villenave Grand Est (Open) — First place | Classic
- 2019 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships (Sub-Juniors) — First place | Classic
- 2019 European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Classic Championships (Sub-Juniors) — First place | Classic
- 2021 FFForce Championnats de France Jeunes et Élite de Force Athlétique (Juniors) — First place | Classic
- 2022 FFForce Championnats de France Jeunes de Force Athlétique (Juniors) — First place | Classic
*Note: Eugenie competed in the 76-kilogram weight class during this competition
In essence, with her hard work and dedication at a young age, it seems this sort of dominant output was almost inevitable.
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On the Horizon
Eugenie’s potentially outstanding summer isn’t over. She will compete at the IPF Junior World Championships on June 6-12, 2022, in Sun City, South Africa. She will likely be a top contender to take home the Juniors title for the 63-kilogram weight class. If her recent performance at the French Nationals hints at any future greatness, that could be a safe bet.
Featured image: @coeurlymonster on Instagram
