As a powerlifter, Daria Rusanenko first made her hay in her native Ukraine, winning several contests of the Sub-Juniors and Teen variety in the mid-2010s. Years later, as a seasoned competitor and if her latest performance says anything meaningful — the athlete could be ready for a significant breakthrough to bona fide strength sports stardom.
On Nov. 19, 2022, during the 2022 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) Equipped World Championships in Viborg, Denmark, Rusanenko captured a 275.5-kilogram (607.4-pound) equipped squat. Rusanenko entered the competition as an 84-kilogram Juniors competitor, making her top squat a Junior and Open all-time IPF World Record in the same division. (Note: At the time of this writing, it is unclear precisely where Rusanenko finished in her category, as results continue to be tabulated.)
This squat performance isn’t the first time Rusanenko has turned heads with a record mark on an international stage.
According to the IPF database, the athlete is also the Sub-Junior squat IPF World Record holder in both the 76-kilogram (240 kilograms/529.1 pounds) and the 84-kilogram divisions (225 kilograms/496 pounds). The first leg strength milestone occurred during the 2019 IPF World Juniors & Sub-Juniors Championships, while the latter happened at the 2019 iteration of the IPF Equipped World Championships. Suffice it to say: This young powerlifter has already demonstrated plenty of leg power in the recent past.
Here’s an overview of Rusanenko’s all-time equipped competition bests:
Daria Rusanenko | Equipped All-Time Competition Bests
- Squat — 275.5 kilograms (607.4 pounds) | Junior and Open IPF World Record
- Bench Press — 150 kilograms (330.7 pounds)
- Deadlift — 212.5 kilograms (468.4 pounds)
- Total — 627.5 kilograms (1,383.4 pounds)
On a competitive basis, over an approximate seven-year career, Rusanenko can boast 17 victories with nine other podium finishes. Here’s an overview of some of her more notable contest results:
Daria Rusanenko | Notable Career Results
- 2015 UkrainePF Donetsk Powerlifting Championships (Sub-Juniors/Equipped) — First place | First career victory
- 2016 UkrainePF Ukrainian Powerlifting Championships (Sub-Juniors/Equipped) — First place
- 2017 European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Classic Powerlifting Championships (Sub-Juniors/Raw) — First place
- 2017, 2019 EPF European Equipped Powerlifting Championships (Sub-Juniors/Equipped) — First place
- 2017, 2019 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships (Sub-Juniors/Raw) — Second place (2017) | First place (2019)
- 2019 EPF European Equipped Powerlifting Championships (Sub-Juniors/Equipped) — First place
- 2019 IPF World Juniors & Sub-Juniors Championships (Sub-Juniors/Equipped) — First place
- 2020-2021 UkrainePF Ukraine Powerlifting Championships (Open/Equipped) — First place
At the time of this writing, Rusanenko doesn’t appear to have a consistent social media presence, making it unclear what her future plans for any competitions resemble. Though, given her equipped prowess, it’s probably fair to expect another resounding result — one that might include another World Record — the next time she steps on a sanctioned platform.
Featured image: theipf on Instagram
