Jennifer Thompson bench-pressed 142.5 kilograms, or 314.2 pounds, at a bodyweight of 61.98 kilograms during the IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships in Calgary on June 14, 2018. The lift was a Masters 1 world record, and it helped the American win the Open 63-kilogram world title with a 492.5-kilogram total.
The ratio was about 2.30 times bodyweight, so the caption’s “more than 2.2 times” line is accurate. The surrounding record story needs more precision because Thompson pressed the same headline weight at several meets and later moved the record higher.
The 142.5-kilogram bench was not an isolated viral lift. It was part of a 492.5-kilogram total that won Thompson the Open world title at age 44.
The Exact Lift Happened in Calgary
| Record detail | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Athlete | Jennifer Thompson, United States |
| Bench press | 142.5 kg, 314.2 lb |
| Bodyweight | 61.98 kg, 136.6 lb |
| Division | Open 63 kg Classic, with a Masters 1 bench record |
| Event | 2018 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships |
| Location and date | Calgary, Canada, June 14, 2018 |
| Current status | Historical record; Thompson later pressed 144 kg in single-lift competition |
Thompson also squatted 147.5 kilograms and deadlifted 202.5. Her 492.5-kilogram total beat Samantha Calhoun and Maria Htee for the Open title.
That result matters because the bench came inside a full meet. Thompson had already completed squats and still had to preserve enough energy and attention for deadlifts after the record press.
The Caption Blends More Than One Meet
Thompson pressed 142.5 kilograms at the 2017 USAPL Bench Press Nationals in Killeen, Texas, while weighing 62.5 kilograms. She also used 142.5 during her 2018 Calgary world-title total at 61.98 kilograms.
The widely shared official IPF video is the Calgary attempt. Its publication date, championship timing, athlete, class, and displayed load all match that performance.
Combining the 2017 bodyweight and 2018 video produces a story that looks right but joins two separate results. The difference is small numerically and important historically.
Thompson’s career includes many records, so attaching one number to “the” moment without a meet name can create confusion quickly.
Her Record Progression Continued Past 142.5
Thompson pressed 144 kilograms at the 2018 IPF World Classic Bench Press Championships in Vantaa, Finland. Goodlift still lists that as the Open 63-kilogram single-lift Classic record.
She later pressed 145 kilograms at the 2018 USAPL Bench Press Nationals. That result appears in tested raw record progressions across federations, but it is not the same thing as the IPF international record table.
The current IPF 63-kilogram full-power bench record is 143.5 kilograms by Carola Garra. Separate full-power and bench-only tables explain why two current numbers can exist in the same class.
Thompson’s 142.5 in Calgary was therefore a real record at the time, but it was not the last word in her own progression.
The Official Video Shows the Exact Record Lift
The clip below comes from the International Powerlifting Federation’s verified channel. It identifies Thompson, the 63-kilogram class, and the 142.5-kilogram world-record bench at the 2018 championship.
The pause, press command, lockout, and rack sequence distinguish the attempt from a gym bench. Three referees judged it under IPF rules.
Technique Helped Express the Strength
A competition bench rewards a repeatable setup. The lifter must create a stable upper back, keep the required contact points, lower under control, wait for commands, and press to lockout without the bar dropping.
Leg drive can help stabilize the torso and transfer force, but it does not move the bar by itself. Thompson’s result came from years of pressing strength layered onto highly practiced meet technique.
The viral caption attributes the lift to paused reps, scapular tension, and leg drive. Those are reasonable bench concepts, but no single public source establishes them as a complete secret formula for this attempt.
For a broader look at programming, read our guide to low reps versus high reps for strength and size. Technical practice works best inside a plan that manages load and recovery.
What the Lift Changed and What It Did Not
Thompson’s bench helped make high-level women’s powerlifting visible to a wider audience. The most defensible evidence of that influence is the record progression itself: she repeatedly raised the standard in her class over many years.
It does not show that strength has a particular appearance, nor can a meet result prove anyone’s drug status on its own. The accurate description is that the competition took place within the tested IPF system.
Most lifters will benefit more from consistent practice than from copying an elite maximum. Steve Shaw’s PR-Zero rule offers the useful counterpoint: begin training, collect repeatable work, and let technique improve under manageable loads.
The precise conclusion is strong enough: Thompson benched 142.5 kilograms at 61.98 kilograms bodyweight, set a Masters record, and won the 2018 Open world title. She then pushed her record line higher.
Get the next evidence check.
Five practical fitness stories worth your time, every Friday.
One email a week. No product pitches. Unsubscribe in one click.
References
- International Powerlifting Federation and Goodlift. (2026). World Open women’s Classic records.
- International Powerlifting Federation and Goodlift. (2018). Masters 1 record history.
- OpenPowerlifting. (2018). 2018 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships.
- International Powerlifting Federation. (2018). Jennifer Thompson’s 142.5 kg world-record bench.
- OpenPowerlifting. (2026). Jennifer Thompson competition history.
Medical disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If you have an injury, ongoing pain, or a medical condition, talk to a doctor or physical therapist before you change how you train or eat.
