Just curious on everyone’s opinion on powerlifting being an olympic event. Do you think it should be so? Also do you think they should bring back the overhead press?
Until there is much more unification, it will never be an Olympic sport. There are way too many feds with different rule. It would be nice though.
I prefer Oly lifting without the press.
I would include strongman as well. Powerlifting needs bent row or something but is fine as it is. Overhead press is overkill on pressig and hard on shoulders.
Hehe, yeah: strongman/woman instead.
I would love it if they brought the press back, but I’d settle for if they changed the rules and let us press out jerks and snatches as long as we ended up showing control of the weight overhead. As for it being an Olympic event, I personally wouldn’t mind it. I enjoy watching it and all, but it isn’t respected as much in Europe for some reason and I doubt the international weightlifting community would ever allow what they consider assistance excercises for the overhead lifts to be showcased equally with them.
I would love to see it but don’t think it will ever happen. If it does, I think that the squat will go the way of the overhead press.
I definately don’t want pressing back in Oly lifting. Remember the Russians dude? They would jack up their steroid intake and curve their backs SO much they looked as though they were incline pressing that shit only without the bench! That is cheap. If they had done over 500 lb’s with strict form…that would be something, but i believe that the reason it stopped being a lift (overhead pressing) was because of that Russian style.
As long as it was raw.
Leave OL the way it is. Supporting the weight overhead in the snatch and jerk adequately demonstrate upper body strength.
As for PL, I’d like to see raw PL in the Olympics. Here’s the kicker - get rid of the bench press and do an overhead press instead. Make the rules strict - none of the back bending nonsense. Part of the problem was that the standards were tough to enforce, so lifters got away with it. This could be fixed by having lifters stand in front of a line on the platform. If the back of their head breaks the plane of this line, it’s a bad lift. Heck, get that beeping machine used in tennis if you want. This should not be that tough to enfore.
From what I’ve read, a lot of that was allowed due to political pressue from the former Soviet Union/Eastern Block nations. Now that times have changed, who knows.
Of course, my version of PL will never happen. The federations all like their lifting suits and shirts and are attached to the bench press.
I’m surprised no one has started a federation that uses squat, overhead press, and deadlift as the competitive lifts. Anyone interested?
No waaayyyyy. Bench is the best. If bench row wasn’t such a prick to perform I’d suggest that but kill the Bench Press???
Sorry Pat, I did mean the women too 
I just saw the most incredable young woman fight for her first bout on friday night. She was the best talent I have seen regardless of sex. Smart, strong, powerful. Bit more speed and aerobic and I would back her against the best in the state. She controlled the fight like a conductor. Beautiful too. That is of course good from a marketing standpoint an has not clouded my judgement at all
Will not be letting ay of our girls fight her.