At the close of the 2026 World Classic & Equipped Bench Press World Championships in Warsaw, I would like to express my gratitude to the athletes that made the journey to Poland and provided us with nine days of incredible action. Your dedication to the sport impresses and inspires.
It was a huge event. 797 athletes lifted in the classic category and 518 in the equipped, some doing both. We welcomed lifters from every corner of the globe and they came together as a community to support each other and make this event so memorable.
We saw many world records broken and witnessed Kosei Yokoyama of Japan take the world title, break the world record and win Best Lifter in both classic and equipped disciplines.
Thank you to the coaches, referees and volunteers who worked so hard to make this a successful championship. Thanks also to the Polish powerlifting federation for their hard work and commitment in making this event a reality.
Lastly, thank you to our presenting partners, SBD and Eleiko, and our destination partner, VisitMalta, whose support makes these championships possible.
Sigurjon Petursson
IPF President
On behalf of the Executive Committee
