Lovelace is preparing to make more history.
Written by Robert Zeglinski
On Apr. 26, 2023, Rhianon Lovelace shared an Instagram clip of herself capturing a 320-kilogram (705-pound) 15-inch Axle Deadlift. The strongwoman and powerlifting extraordinaire wrote that the number she pulled with her loaded barbell was five times her body weight at the time of the video. That means the athlete weighed roughly 64 kilograms (141 pounds). Lovelace utilized lifting straps, a lifting belt, and had a lifting suit adorned to help her with the strength feat.
The most important part of Lovelace’s latest training update might not have been the lift itself. The caption features the strength superstar revealing that she plans to accomplish an 18-inch Axle Deadlift of at least 363 kilograms (800 pounds) by the end of the 2023 calendar year.
When it comes to shining on sanctioned lifting platforms in major contests, and in individualized training sessions, Lovelace is largely unparalleled in the current strength sports pantheon. The last approximate year, dating back to Spring 2022, has seen Lovelace dominate seemingly whenever possible.
One of Lovelace’s more notable accomplishments includes setting the Axle Deadlift World Record at 261.5 kilograms (576.5 pounds) at the 2022 Arnold Strongman UK. Before that achievement, Lovelace broke the strongwoman deadlift World Record with a pull of 282.5 kilograms (623 pounds) at the 2022 Berkshire’s Strongest competition.
To start 2023, Lovelace picked up (no pun intended) where she left off by setting a new U64 Atlas Stone World Record of 146.8 kilograms (323.6 pounds) during the 2023 Kaos New Year Push/Pull 2023 contest. In the same competition, she scored a new top benchmark with the U64 Axle Press World Record of 101 kilograms (222.6 pounds).
According to Lovelace’s caption, she previously set the 18-inch Axle Deadlift World Record at just over 700 pounds in October 2022. At the time of this writing, it is unclear what contest she refers to. Nonetheless, by the end of 2023, Lovelace has lofty ambitions to add over 45.3 kilograms (100 pounds) to her all-time best.
Lovelace is the reigning U64 World’s Strongest Woman (WSW) champion and first captured that title in 2018. According to her page on Open Powerlifting, as a powerlifter, Lovelace has never lost a contest dating back to a career that began in May 2015.
As one of the more decorated strength athletes today, Lovelace probably has a lot on her plate at any given moment. The athlete has usually handled it with aplomb and, based on her high standard of strength excellence, will likely continue to do so.
Featured image: @rhi.lovelace on Instagram
About Robert Zeglinski
Robert is a seasoned and adept editor and writer with a keen, passionate penchant for the writing craft. He’s been a leader in newsrooms such as SB Nation, USA TODAY, and WBBM Newsradio, with various other content and art production teams, and first made a name for himself in his hometown of Chicago. When not knee-deep in research or lost in a stream of consciousness for a thorough piece, you can find Robert inhaling yet another novel, journaling his heart out, or playing with his Shiba Inu, Maximus (Max, for short).