Varsity 2014

9th March, 2014, Iffley Road Sports Complex, Oxford

Cambridge 2268.72- Oxford 2131.88

Results

Pictures

For second consecutive year, Cambridge defeated Oxford, with probably the uniformly strongest team Cambridge has fielded in its history. Normally, only one lifter reaches the Full Blue standard of 375 wilks points every one or two years, but this time, four lifters got it (Oliver Organ with 390.91, Matt Deacon-Smith with 390.49, Salman Khan with 376.02, and Joe Hughes with 375.15), two came very close (Alex Braithwaithe with 368 and Alex Thoma with 367 points), four were well above the Half-Blue standard of 320 (Andrew Hodgson with 359.71, Wilberth Solano with 353.14, James Thompson with 341.87, and Giovanni Braghieri with 330.58), and the remaining two were not far from it (Fiona Christie with 308.11 and Oliver Palmer with 302.13). The total score of each team is put together by adding up the wilks points of the top six lifters. These wilks points are a way to normalise female and male lifters of all weight categories by taking into consideration the total lifted weight (squat+ bench press+ deadlift) and the lifter's bodyweight and sex.

The best lifter of the Cambridge team, Oliver Organ benched a comfortable 142.5 kg reaching a total of 577.5 kg at only 81.1 kg bodyweight. Instead, Matt Deacon-Smith, a scholar of technique, surprised the audience with an easy 280 kg deadlift that earned him a total of 585 kg at 83 kg of bodyweight. Salman Khan, a medicine fresher and Strength Camp aficionado squatted 180 kg at only 72 kg of bodyweight, while Joe Hughes, demonstrated the Cambridge supremacy with a deep 190 squat at only 77 kg of bodyweight. Alex Braithwaite, an Olympic weightlifter momentarily converted to the right ways of powerlifting, deadlifted an impressive 200 kg at only 62.8 kg of bodyweight, whereas Alex Thoma a.k.a. the 'Thomahawk' squatted 170 kg with ease and benched 115 kg to earn a 497.5 kg total at only 71.3 kg bodyweight. Andrew Hodgson claimed for third consecutive year the highest bench press in the Cambridge squad with 165 kg and the highest total of 615 kg at 112.3 kg. Captain Wilberth Solano achieved a well-rounded total of 537.5 kg with a 180 kg squat, 117.5 kg bench, and 240 kg deadlift at 85.3 kg bodyweight. James Thompson, a rugby player who switched to a proper sport benched an impressive 135 kg and totalled 540 kg at 91.5 kg of bodyweight. In his first powerlifting competition, Giovanni Braghieri, the ambassador of intense psych-ups, benched a respectable 125 kg and squatted 180 kg at only 80,2 kg bodyweight, while Fiona Christie, achieved a total of 310 kg with a 107.5 kg squat, 55kg bench, and 145 kg deadlift. Last but not least, Oliver Palmer demonstrated his potential as a powerlifter with a 160 kg squat and 190 kg deadlift at 82.9 kg bodyweight.

Wilberth Solano, CUPLC Captain 2013-2014