From May 5 to 11, in the "Asian University Powerlifting Championship 2024" held at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Hong Kong, all four members of Okayama University's Weight Training Club representing Japan secured medals, with club captain TSUBOUCHI Reo (4th year, School of Economics) achieving the remarkable feat of becoming the Asia Champion!

The competition featured 43 male and 16 female athletes from various Asian countries, engaging in fierce battles across three disciplines: squat, bench press, and deadlift, with rankings determined by the total weight lifted.

KAWAKAMI　Shunya (2nd year, School of Economics) in the men's 59kg category lifted 135kg in squat (3rd place), 80kg in bench press (3rd place), and 160kg in deadlift (3rd place), achieving 3rd place with a total of 375kg. SUGINO Hiroki (2nd year, School of Education) in the men's 74kg category lifted 200kg in squat (2nd place), 125kg in bench press (3rd place), and 256kg in deadlift (2nd place), securing 2nd place with a total of 581kg and setting an Asia University record in deadlift. Mr. Tsubouchi competed in the men's 120kg+ category, lifting 340kg in squat (1st place), 200kg in bench press (1st place), and 250kg in deadlift (1st place), winning with a total of 790kg. In addition to setting Asia University records and a Japanese Junior record in the squat, Mr. Tsubouchi also set a Japanese Junior record in the bench press. KAWAHARA Miu (4th year, School of Engineering) in the women's 52kg category lifted 92.5kg in squat (2nd place), 57.5kg in bench press (2nd place), and 117.5kg in deadlift (2nd place), securing 2nd place with a total of 267.5kg and setting an Asia University record in bench press.

Reflecting on the results, Ms. Kawahara expressed, “I am proud to have been able to compete at an international level within one year of starting this sport. I want to share this experience not only for my coaches and teammates who have always supported me but also to elevate the overall awareness of the club towards consecutive victories in the intercollegiate championships." Mr. Tsubouchi, on the other hand, stated, "Leveraging the experience gained from this international competition, I aim to achieve consecutive victories in the upcoming intercollegiate championships in November!" Let's look forward to their continued success in the future!