For those watching, either live or by our live feed, this may help
ProgramGuide
The beginning
Back in 2010, Max and I went to the 2010 WPC Worlds in Idaho, USA. We flew for 14 hours, then drove for another 14, to compete against one other boy. That was rubbish. Instead of whining, I decided to go about correcting everything I didn’t like about powerlifting.
ProRawOne was held in January 2011, it was a feeler to see if it would work. It did, so ProRawTwo was held in October 2011. That competition changed powerlifting in Australia, for good. The standard has risen, amongst all Feds, since that day. It is still the best competition I have attended, and I’ve been to 2 Worlds and 7 Nationals held by 4 different Feds.
The look on the lifters faces when they saw the venue, the equipment, the big screens, the warm up area, that was my favourite bit. That’s the most important area for me, to make sure the lifters have everything they need to perform at their best. Scott, Fuzzy and Chris did. I’ll never forget it. Gregg and Dan also put on a terrific show.
That event convinced me to continue. It hasn’t been easy, but with the support of the lifters, sponsors and some other individuals who prefer to stay in the background, it will continue to go from strength to strength.
Thank you for coming to watch. Please make as much noise as you can, the lifters and I will appreciate it.
Markos Markopoulos
The Rules
I haven’t tried to reinvent the wheel here, in my opinion, powerlifting rules, in raw competition, are mostly the same, regardless of Federation. Here is a brief rundown of the little things, I’ll leave the technical stuff for the lifters. This is for the fans
Each lifter gets 3 attempts at all 3 lifts, the squat, bench press and deadlift. Once he has attempted a weight, he can’t choose a lower weight for his next attempt. If successful, the weight on the bar goes up for their next attempt.
You must perform at least 1 good attempt at each of the 3 lifts. A good attempt is one the judges deem to be good by giving a majority ruling, meaning at least 2 of the 3 judges give the lift a white light. A red light signifies a missed attempt by that judge
Your score is a combination of your best successful attempt in each of the 3 movements. The winner in each weight class is the person who lifts the most weight.
When a lifter makes a good lift, please yell, clap and cheer, it will be appreciated.
The Lifters
I won’t detail every lifters accomplishments, just the highlights of the favourites
Firstly the women. There are not enough competitors yet, so the winner will be decided on score, which is a combination of weight lifted and bodyweight. The calculator we use is the Glossbrenner
Katie Foster and Nina Markopoulos are the 2 favourites. Both girls competed at the 2012 GPC Nationals in Caloundra this year, Nina finished 2nd and Katie 3rd, but that was with age correction. Here they will be going head to head.
Katie Foster, ACT - burst onto the scene with a bang in 2012. Her performance has been breathtaking. She already has 2 All Time Australian Records, in the 67.5kg class and the 75kg class. Her 182.5kg deadlift at Nats was an unbelievable deadlift at a bodyweight of under 75kg. She is the favourite to win the $1000 first prize.
Nina Markopoulos, Vic - has had a terrific year in 2012. She has competed at ProRawThree where she finished second to the great Anita Millington setting a new PB total, another PB total of 310kg at GPC States in March, then “the perfect” comp at GPC Nats, where she made 10 of 10 attempts, set Open Women WR in the deadlift with 140kg and 75kg in the bench press at a bodyweight of 58kg. Her 327.5kg total was also a WR. At Worlds she broke her Open Women deadlift and total record with a 142.5kg deadlift and a 330kg total at 57kg. She will push Katie all the way.
Vicki Jewson, Vic - trains with Nina, and has done all the same comps this year. Her training since Worlds has been excellent and she has broken all her PB’s in training. Vicki is expecting to beat her total PB of 272.5kg.
LIGHTWEIGHT 80kg class men
Ben Bouchereau, QLD -, or Frenchy as he likes to be known, is a red hot favourite to win this class. Franchy usually lifts in the 75kg or 82.5kg class. The 80kg ProRawRecord is 622.5kg held by Emad Nayef who had to withdraw from competition due to injuries. They will meet at Nationals later this year. Frenchy competed at the GPC Nationals this year and totalled 627.5kg, weighing 79kg. I can’t see him getting beaten unless he stuffs up and chokes. His main competitors at this weight are Emad and Michael Brook, who has also totalled 615kg at ProRawThree, both out injured.
Kristos Paponotis SA - is an 18 year old, who by the time he’s finished in the sport will smash most records in the lighter divisions. He is coming in too light to beat Frenchy at ProRawFour, but has his sights set on all the All Time 67.5kg record, which stands at 535kg. Videos of his recent training indicate he will take the record, even though he’s still a teen. Watch this space.
Chris Van Gunst, Vic - is newcomer, competing at his first ProRawEvent. The owner of a 240kg deadlift at under 80kg bodyweight will ensure he finishes in the top half of the field. A 550kg total from Chris won’t surprise.
MIDDLEWIGHT 95kg class men
Matt Brunoli, SA - will be very hard to beat. Matt is a part time powerlifter, spending his winter playing football. This is Matts first official 3 lift comp, and he could break the all time 90/93kg record of 724kg, set this year at GPC Worlds by Scott Wasson. I have seen Matt deadlift 330kg at 92kg bodyweight, a lift that won him the CAPO National Deadlift comp in 2011. Good luck to all the 95kg competitors
Laird Ross, Vic – is un unknown quantity to me, all I know is he’s one of the best benchers in Oz. Laird, Like Kristos, last competed for PA. I think Laird will be around the 700kg mark as well, keeping Matt honest.
Alen Pezerovic, Vic – is possibly just in front of the next bunch, who are around 50-70kg behind the top two. Alen has trained better than he ever has for this event. His previous best total was 590kg, done at GPC Nats in June. Alen will go over 620kg at ProRawFour. His battle with Jonathon Nichols and Wayne Kollen for bragging rights at PTC in the 100kg class is the most intriguing battle of the meet.
Other notables here are Jonathon Nichols and Daniel America, both should go over 600kg
HEAVYWEIGHT 110kg class men
I don’t know how much Nathan Jones is going to weigh, I’m going to guess more than the 110kg cut off. He is unbeatable in Australia at 110kg.
Firas El Achkar, SA – Fuzzy is powerlifter to the core, now, after having started as a bearded 14yo in Olympic lifting. I have known him for 6 years now, and every year he just gets better. He totalled 600kg at his first meet, at my gym, back in 2011. He will go very close to 800kg here at ProRawFour. Fuzzy has never been defeated at Powerlifting, and if Nathan Jones lifts in the SHW class, it will probably remain this way. Watch for his 340kg deadlift.
He will pull whatever he needs to win
Alex Zerba, QLD – is the only lifter capable of beating Fuzzy. If Fuzzy slips up, just a little, Alex will get him. They have only met once in competition, at the GPC Nats this year, where Fuzzy beat Alex by 55kg, 740kg to 685kg. Alex is a better lifter than that, the margin will be much, much closer this year. Alex has a much bigger bench press than Fuzzy, he will need to maximize his advantage there if he is too to hold off the faster finishing Fuzzy. Cant wait for this one.
SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT 110kg + class men
Odell Manual, QLD – wow, what a pick up from PA. Odell is an ex NRL player, having played for the Auckland Warriors and Canberra Raiders from 1999 – 2002. In 2009 he totalled 917kg at the PA nats in single ply gear. His recent training vids indicate he will go close to 900kg via a 350kg squat, 200kg bench and 350kg deadlift, if he has a good meet, Wayne Howletts 900kg 140kg class All Time record will be in jeopardy. With Dan Wright out this year, competition is thin for Odell...............except Nathan Jones might step up to this weight class. If so, it will be a fight worth flying in for.
Nathan Jones, ACT – the reason we are here. If not for this man, ProRaw might just have finished before it started. He believed in the concept from when it was still an egg, and he quit PA where he was a top lifter, to come and lift at ProRawOne. Nathan is a competitive lifter, who loves competition more than winning, a trait he displayed at ProRawThree, where he weighed in at 110.5kg and totalled 850kg. A mere 500gms lighter would have meant it was an All Time Australian Record. A fit Nathan will go close to 900kg at under 120kg, which to me, will make it the best raw total in Australian History.
Jackson Murrie, QLD – is a kid, who is a chance to break the great Gregg Gordons all time biggest total by a teenager in Australia, the 770kg he did at ProRawTwo. Still a teenager, his strength is outstanding, 300kg squats at such a young age are very impressive. A bit of a wild child, he will only improve by competing in such exalted company
ProRawRecords
Because the women don’t lift in weight classes, we use the Glossbrenner scoring system. Here are the Top 10 scores at ProRaw.
WOMEN
1. Anita Millington..................341.16 - PR3
2. Nina Markopoulos..............301.16 - PR3
3. Sussy Kollen........................299.95 - PR3
4. Tara Marshall.....................285.88 - PR2
5. Cami Sadri..........................284.59 - PR2
6. Dimi Strathopoulos............267.78 - PR1
7. Vicki Jewson.......................266.72 - PR3
8. Amanda Woodward...........259.85 - PR3
9. Emma Eaton.......................249.39 - PR3
10. Helen Sidiropoulos...........246.38 - PR1
MEN
Lightweight 80kg class – Emad Nayef – 622.5kg
Middleweight 95kg class – Matt Middleton – 720kg
Heavyweight 110kg class – Gregg Gordon – 770kg
SHW 110kg+ class – Dan Wright – 870kg
Here are the all time Australian Records, raw, all feds
WOMEN
48KG - MARY MACKEN - 307.5KG (PA)
52KG - CORALIE WEIR - 335KG (GPC)
56/57KG - JASMINE HIGGS - 337.5KG (PA)
60KG - TAYLOR YOUNG - 409KG (CAPO)
67.5KG - KATIE FOSTER - 372.5KG (CAPO)
75KG - KATIE FOSTER - 400KG (GPC)
82.5/84KGKG - LUCIE THOMPSON - 385KG (CAPO)
90KG - RACHEL GORMAN - 372.5KG (CAPO)
SHW - ANITA MILLINGTON - 527.5KG (ProRaw)
MEN
60KG - G. WONG - 425KG (PA)
67.5KG - DOMINC CADDEN - 535KG (PA)
75KG - EMAD NAYEF - 602.5KG (GPC)
82.5KG - MARK BARHAM - 697.5KG (PA)
90/93KG - SCOTT WASSON - 724KG (GPC)
100KG - JASON DURBIDGE - 842.5KG (CAPO)
110KG - RICKY GOODYEAR - 847.5KG (GPC)
125KG - SHANNON FLORISSEN - 860KG (CAPO)
140KG - WAYNE HOWLETT - 900KG (CAPO)
SHW - GEORGE MCLAREN - 930KG (CAPO)
The Future
Next year will see ProRawFive take a new turn, the event will be invitation only, with the Top 10 lifters in each weight class being invited. I will include all lifters in Australia that compete in a sanctioned event, if they decline the invite or can’t make it due to injury etc, the next lifter in line gets invited.
This will ensure we get the pick of the absolute best each year. This will help with our efforts to get sponsors, the bigger the event grows, and is attended by the best lifters, the easier it will be to get sponsors. This year we have Ironedge and Total Science helping. Both Rick and Gawain have been supporters of the ProRaw concept from ProRawOne.
So sadly, this will be the last chance for some lifters, unless they get their strong on.
Thank you to everyone that competed, watched live or on the internet, told a friend, spotted, loaded, ran the desk, sponsored, helped a lifter out in the gym.
If we want our sport to grow, we have to start at the bottom and help one another
Most of all
RESPECT MY SPORT
Markos Markopoulos
Read more: http://prorawpowerlifting.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=competitions&action=display&thread=1119&page=20#ixzz2B6roQBXz
