On June 16, Okayama University's Weight Training Club participated in the "59th Kansai Student Spring Powerlifting Championship" held at Okayama University's Second Gymnasium and won the team championship. Organized by the Kansai Student Powerlifting Federation, the tournament determines the team ranking based on the total points earned from individual rankings in each weight class. With a total of 37 athletes from five universities competing, this spring marked the first large-scale tournament for the Weight Training Club since its reorganization, and the victory was a testament to the combined efforts of the athletes, spotters, assistants, and organizers.

Ms. KAWAHARA Miu (4th year, School of Engineering), who secured 1st place in the Women's 52kg class, set a new All-Japan student record in Bench Press and total combined weight, earning her the title of Best Female Athlete. Additionally, Mr. TSUBOUCHI Reo (4th year, School of Economics), who claimed 1st place in the Men's 105kg+ class, achieved the remarkable feat of setting new All-Japan student records in Bench Press and Deadlift.

Reflecting on the tournament results, Ms. Kawahara commented, "I believe we've made a good start towards winning the Intercollegiate team championship. With the new academic year, we've welcomed many new students, and there's a lot of energy. Going forward, our challenge is to strengthen not only individual capabilities but also our team unity." Mr. Tsubouchi added, "I think we were able to unite the entire team's strength, including the new freshmen who joined us this spring, to achieve victory. We'll maintain this momentum and strive for victory as a team in the Intercollegiate Championship in November."

Looking ahead, the Weight Training Club plans to compete in the "Kansai Student Bodybuilding Championship" in September and the "Kansai Student Autumn Powerlifting Championship" in October. Let's look forward to their continued success in upcoming competitions!