Our final world championships of the year, the 2024 World Open Equipped Powerlifting Championships, has come to an end. It was a fantastic event, full of camaraderie and great lifting.

238 of the world’s top equipped lifters took part and gave us some exciting showdowns and huge lifts. This number includes 19 Special Olympics athletes who inspired us with their dedication and sportsmanship.

I would like to offer my thanks to the Icelandic federation, who were excellent hosts and did everything in their power to make this a memorable event. Every single athlete took home a unique memento - a piece of the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland. A lucky few also travelled home with their panda, a symbol of their qualification for the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China.

Thanks also go to the meet director and his tireless team of volunteers. And to our spotting team who kept our athletes safe and made the platform run like clockwork. Thank you to the athletes who entertained us, the…