Moree powerlifter Eric Dumas has risen to new heights in the powerlifting game after smashing multiple Australian and Oceania records and being crowned the best master-two lifter at the Oceania and Pacific Invitational Powerlifting Championships for the fourth consecutive year.
The 53-year-old veteran once again dominated in his division at the championships in Singapore.
Three lifts are performed in competition in the order of squat, benchpress and deadlift. The highest of the three attempts in each discipline as well as the total of the three determine the winner in each weight and age class.
Dumas won gold in each of his events and the total, which saw him secure his sixth Oceania title, this time in the M2 105kg division, having climbed one weight category for the occasion.
In addition to being crowned the best M2 lifter for the tournament, Dumas also set nine Australian and nine Oceania M2 records for each of his three squats, three deadlifts and three totals.
His best performances in the third and last lifts were a 256kg squat – an Australian and Oceania record; a 145kg benchpress; and a 280kg deadlift – an Australian and Oceania record. This totalled 681kg, which was also a new Australian and Oceania record.
Although pleased with his results, the humble Dumas said he always aims to be better.
“I could always be and should have been better,” he said.
“The deadlift was satisfying but the weight nominated for the squat should have been more ambitious.”
These records and competition personal bests are a significant improvement on Dumas’ efforts at the 2016 Asia/Oceania titles which saw him set an Australian, Oceania and Commonwealth M2 93kg record with a 255.5kg squat, and Australian and Oceania records in the deadlift (265.kg) and total (666kg).
Since arriving back in Australia, Dumas has already resumed training at Moree PCYC, with the aim of attaining weights closer to the current M2 105kg squat and deadlift world records of 286kg and 295.5kg respectively.
Last June, Dumas added a few more world powerlifting medals to his growing collection after coming second overall in the M2 93kg division at the 2017 World Classic Powerlifting Championships in Minsk, Belarus.
The ldentist received gold in the squat section of the three lift competition with 250kg, and secured a bronze medal in the deadlift, lifting a personal best of 267.5kg. He placed sixth in the benchpress section with 140kg.
