45 of the best powerlifters in the nation will travel to Penrith next week to compete in one of Australia’s most well known powerlifting events, the 2015 Matti Tikka Opal Challenge.
It’s the first time Penrith will host the event, with the invitation-only tournament expected to see competitors travelling from all over the country, including Queensland, Victoria and Canberra, to compete.
Penrith local Daniel Curry will be competing in this year’s Matti Tikka, and the recent Australian deadlift record holder will be looking to regain his title.
“Daniel Curry, who had the Australian deadlift record before it was recently broken, will be attempting to go for the total record which is 861kg,” coach and Matti Tikka organiser, Ray Owen said.
“It’s a combination of a squat, bench-press and deadlift.”
The women’s category will be very competitive with Kellie Clarke and Elizabeth Craven, both ranked one and two in Australia, amongst the competitors at the event.
The pair have just recently competed internationally at the world titles in Finland.
The event is set to remain in Penrith for many years to come, which will allow locals to witness several of Australia’s best lifters in action.
Mr Owen hopes many locals attend.
“It’s a great showcase for Penrith to be able to host some of the best lifters in Australia,” Mr Owen said.
The Challenge will be held at 9am on Saturday, November 7 at Lower Blue Mountains Crossfit, located at 8/10 Production Place, Jamisontown.
Entry is free.
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender’s Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.
