Powerlifting, popular today, is a sport with a huge history. How it developed in the USSR and the Russian Federation, the features of each of the periods, as well as the problems of our time. The history of powerlifting dates back to the late forties of the last century. At this time, in many countries, some strange-looking barbell exercises became popular. They were overhead presses, standing and seated curls, deadlifts, squats, and bench presses. By the early sixties, powerlifting was almost completely formed as a sport, and after a few years, rules for the conduct of competitions were established.
The men's world championship was first held in 1971 and the women's world championship in 1980. Somewhat later, European championships began to be held: men's since 1979, and women's - 1983.
Powerlifting in the USSR
As often happened in the Soviet Union, everything new was initially considered bourgeois. This happened with bodybuilding, martial arts, there is a similar period in the history of powerlifting. Even the name of this sport was dangerous to pronounce aloud. The response to the ban on the part of the athletes was to go to the basement and so that such halls were not closed by the authorities, they had to come up with another name - athletic gymnastics. The press often featured articles on the ideology of bodybuilding and athletic gymnastics.
From the pages of newspapers and magazines, domestic athletes were urged not to use the methods created by Western athletes. They were constantly criticized for their desire to quickly gain a decent mass of muscles and for doing weight exercises, which contradicted the traditional means of physical education in the country. The functionaries did their best to stop the development of powerlifting.
But athletic gymnastics quickly gained popularity among the people. The first signal for future recognition was an article in the "Sports Life of Russia" publication published in 1962. After that, books, magazines and newspapers of the sports direction began to appear and began to pay more attention to athleticism. As a result, in 1968, at the All-Union Conference on Gymnastics, powerlifting was included in the section of general developmental gymnastics.
These events contributed to the rapid development of athleticism and the authorities had to do everything possible to direct the new movement in the appropriate ideological direction. Since it was mainly young people who were engaged in athleticism, the responsibility for this was placed on the Komsomol organization of the USSR. The first competitions were also held by the Komsomol and the competition program included squats and bench press. All these events could not fail to attract the country's Sports Committee to the new sport. At meetings of various levels of this state body, issues related to powerlifting began to be raised over and over again. The development of organizational and methodological instructions began in 1966, and they were approved only 12 years later. And so in 1979, the All-Union Commission on Athletic Gymnastics was founded, which became part of the country's weightlifting federation. Thus, the new sport received official recognition only in 1979, although the history of powerlifting began much earlier.
One of the first all-Union competitions was the open championship of the Lithuanian SSR, held in 1979. The program of competitions among juniors included a bench press and a triple jump. Adult athletes identified the strongest in the squat and bench press. Every year there were more and more tournaments, and in 1987 the Committee for Physical Culture and Sports of the USSR decided to develop an action plan for the development of athletic gymnastics.
In 1988, the first international meeting of Soviet and American athletes took place. The only representative of the USSR who defeated the Americans was Vladimir Mironov. It should be said that the Americans were very surprised by the results of the Soviet hero. So, Ed Cohen, who has repeatedly become the winner of the world powerlifting championships, said that if Mironov had seriously taken up powerlifting, he would definitely be able to reach great heights. A very important step in the history of powerlifting was the constant meetings between the athletes of the USSR and the USA, which lasted for the next three years.
This allowed domestic coaches and athletes themselves to learn a lot of useful things for themselves. Of course, all this only benefited the young sport. Meanwhile, all-Union competitions were held more and more often and interest in powerlifting grew more and more.
The history of powerlifting in Russia
The official date for the beginning of the Russian stage in the development of powerlifting can be considered 1991, when the powerlifting federation was created. However, Russian athletes played under the flag of the USSR for a year, and at the end of 1992, the Federation of Powerlifting was officially registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation. Since the Soviet Union had already ceased to exist by this time, the representatives of the federation in 1991 turned to the International and European Powerlifting Federations, with a request to accept it into their ranks. Since the beginning of 1992, the Russian Powerlifting Federation has received the status of a temporary member in these international organizations.
This made it possible for domestic athletes to participate in international competitions under the flag of Russia. Soon the status of the Russian Federation of Powerlifting in the world became official.
Russian athletes have successfully started their performances in the international arena. Above all praise at the European championship in 1992, the Russian women's team performed. Ekaterina Tanakova, Valentina Nelyubova, Natalia Rumyantseva and Svetlana Fischenko became champions of the continent in their weight categories. Elena Rodionova, Anastasia Pavlova, Olga Bolshakova and Natalya Magula ascended the second step of the podium. Irina Krylova won the bronze medal.
Men also performed well, but still the women's team was better. For 11 years, from 1993-2003, Russian girls were unmatched in the world championships.
How the powerlifting tournament is being held in Russia now, see the video:
