Powerlifter Chloe Tang claims world sub-junior title, two world records in first international meet

SINGAPORE – Just four months after taking part in her first powerlifting competition, Chloe Tang made the step up to the international stage in the best way possible: by winning Singapore’s first world title in the sub-junior category (14-18 years old).

At the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Classic & Equipped Sub-junior and Junior Powerlifting Championships on Monday, she clinched gold in the sub-junior Under 57kg category, breaking two world records in the process.

The 18-year-old rewrote Italian Auletta Giovanna’s sub-junior deadlift world record of 163kg with her 173kg effort in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, while her total of 408kg surpassed Finn Fanny Lamminen’s 392.5kg set in 2018.

She also lifted 155kg and 80kg in the squat and bench press respectively.

Tang said: “Overall, I’m pretty happy that I secured the win... It’s still a bit surreal to me but I’m glad to be able to bag the win for Singapore.

“My No. 1 priority was to clinch the gold, and everything else was just going to be a bonus.

“But that aside, I was gunning for the squat, deadlift and total world records.

“Though I did not manage to get the squat record in the end, I’m still very surprised and happy that I managed to attain my other goals.”

Before the Institute of Technical Education College East student picked up the sport at the end of 2022, her visits to the gym were mainly for fitness and personal health.

While competitive powerlifting did not interest her initially, it did not take long for her to excel.

She won her first competition, the Tertiary and Junior Nationals in April, to qualify for the ongoing world meet.

What drew her to it was the training, community, adrenaline rush during competitions and the support from friends and family.

The event in Romania is her first international competition and with her debut came the emotions of going up against some of the world’s best young powerlifters.

Shortly after hauling 173kg to rewrite the deadlift sub-junior record, she leapt off the mat and screamed in celebration.

She said: “At that moment, I was overjoyed and honestly overwhelmed with emotions.

“The competition meant a lot to me because my preparation leading up to it has been more than six months in the making.

“And it would’ve all been for nothing had I not executed on the day itself.”

Tang’s achievement is the latest breakthrough by a Singaporean powerlifter in the international scene.

Senior athlete and coach Farhanna Farid has

broken the women’s Under 52kg deadlift world record

several times over the past two years.

Other Singaporeans have also previously held world records – Matthew Yap in the men’s sub-junior Under 66kg squat and his brother Marcus in the men’s junior Under 59kg deadlift and total.

Daniel Nobel was also a men’s sub-junior Under 120kg deadlift world record holder.

Powerlifting Singapore’s director of coach & athlete development Wesley Foo noted that the lead-up to the competition was challenging for Tang, who had to juggle training with her internship at chemical manufacturer Pride-Chem Industries.

Noting that Tang is only 18, he said: “With powerlifting growing among young people in Singapore, Chloe’s world champion title is a sign to all Singaporeans that, if you want something and work towards it, your dreams can become reality and that anything is possible.”

For now, the teenager is lapping up her first overseas competition experience, adding: “I had to take a long flight to get here and there were additional factors to deal with such as time zone difference.

“But the bright side of it is that I get to meet lifters from all around the world and make friends from other countries!”