Powerlifter Mubiru bags another gold medal

Despite limited time for preparation because of the coronavirus pandemic, Uganda powerlifter Roy Mubiru still managed to snatch gold during the 30^th World Powerlifting Alliance World Championship in Connecticut, US on Saturday.

According to Mubiru, the annual championship attracted over 110 lifters at the Steel Beach Gym from within the US, with many others from around the world unable to travel to the US because of the current travel restrictions in many parts of the world because of COVID-19.

The qualifier requirements for this year's Championships were also waived off because of the same reasons.

Competing in the 125kg heavyweight category, Mubiru, who only trained for three weeks instead of the normal 3 months; dead-lifted 270kg, Squated 255 and benched 180kg to come top in his category.

"It's a great feeling because I trained only twice each week because we could only access the gyms on appointment. The competition was intense because we were all not at our best.

"So out of the 9 attempts, I made 7 having failed one in the squat and bench but I was able to make it up in the deadlift-which is my specialty, but it will go down in history that we competed in such strange time of COVID-19," Mubiru said.

Many of the other competitors competed from their locations in the event that was originally scheduled to take place in Canada.

Last year, Mubiru won gold in a number of events including at a similar Championship in Ukraine in May and at the 2019 WPA World Cup International Championships at the Dungeon Fitness Gym, in the US.

Next is the World Championships that will take place September 12-20. The event will take place in multiple locations during that time frame (several simultaneously). On September 20, all results will be compiled and published.

All lifters will receive an award regardless of placement according to the organizers, the World Powerlifting Alliance.