Some young powerlifters take time to find their groove and get comfortable on a sanctioned lifting platform. It’s an understandable struggle to figure out what works and hone in on one’s strengths. Such a descriptor does not seem to apply to the 20-year-old Samantha Eugenie.
On Apr. 8, 2023, during the 2023 Fédération Française de Force (FFForce) Junior Nationals, Eugenie set two International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) raw Junior Records in a first-place performance in the 69-kilogram weight class. Had the lifts been performed at an international contest, they would have set respective World Records.
The first mark was a 220.5-kilogram (486.1-pound) deadlift, achieved by Eugenie on her final pull of the contest. The second IPF raw Junior Record was Eugenie’s final triumphant total of 515.5 kilograms (1,136.4 pounds). The marks are official because the FFForce is under the IPF’s jurisdiction.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article initially credited the lifts as official World Records. The text has been adjusted for accuracy.
Eugenie’s raw Junior Record accomplishments are so impressive, they eclipsed the reigning 69-kilogram IPF Junior World Champion in the record books, making them unofficial Junior World Records.
The athlete’s deadlift is more than Clara Peyraud’s previous record of 218 kilograms (480.6 pounds) from the 2022 European Powerlifting Federation (EPF) European Classic Powerlifting Championships by 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds). Eugenie’s Junior record total also leapfrogs another past number from Peyraud, who notched a total of 510.5 kilograms (1,136.4 pounds) at the same European contest.
Peyraud captured her first 69-kilogram Junior world title in August 2022. Eugenie is a defending Junior World champion herself, but in the 63-kilogram division. In only her second-ever appearance as a 69-kilogram competitor, it’s clear Eugenie is already on par with its best Junior athletes.
In addition to her IPF raw Junior Records, Eugenie scored an all-time raw competition best bench press of 110 kilograms (242.5 pounds) and back squat of 185 kilograms (407.8 pounds). Here’s an overview of the top stats from the athlete’s overall performance:
Samantha Eugenie (69KG) | 2023 French Junior Nationals Top Stats
- Squat — 185 kilograms (407.8 pounds) | All-Time Raw Competition Best
- Bench Press — 110 kilograms (242.5 pounds) | All-Time Raw Competition Best
- Deadlift — 220.5 kilograms (486.1 pounds) | Unofficial Raw IPF World Record
- Total — 510.5 kilograms (1,136.4 pounds) | Unofficial Raw IPF World Record
According to the IPF database, Eugenie is the owner of the 63-kilogram raw IPF Junior World Record deadlift, with a pull of 216 kilograms (476.2 pounds). The athlete captured that mark at the 2022 IPF Junior World Classic Powerlifting Championships while taking home first place.
Eugenie has firmly established herself as a dynamic force in two separate powerlifting divisions. All that might be left for the athlete is to make her stamps in the 69-kilogram class on a grander, international stage. The athlete will likely get the golden opportunity to do so this late summer at the 2023 IPF World Championships in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Featured image: @coeurlymonster on Instagram
