2006 GPC European Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships
The Global Powerlifting Committee European Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships were held May 3-7 in beautiful Saint-Avold, France. Saint-Avold is a small town about one hour drive from Luxembourg and bordering Germany in North Eastern France.
In addition to seeing some of the best powerlifting on the planet I also had the opportunity to visit the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial. If you want to feel proud to be an American and you have the opportunity there are several American Memorial Cemeteries around Europe. All paid for and maintained by the American taxpayer and the blood of our American Heroes. The Saint-Avold Cemetery has 10,489 Americans, 151 of which are "unknown". There are four Medal of Honor winners whose headstones are engraved in gold leaf.
Dominique Seminatore spared no expense at promoting the event in the Agora Sports Hall which is part of a larger sports complex. The competition table employed the latest technology in computer programming for the scoreboard with a large screen visible to the lifters and the audience as well as a large screen in the warm up area for the contestants. Wim Elwn has done a great job in developing the computer program and the Europeans was his testing ground to work out the kinks for the upcoming GPC World Powerlifitng and Bench Press Championships to be held in Gent, Belgium the first week of November. If the program had any flaws it escaped me.
I did notice that France has become infested with "Line Dancers" At intermission in returning from the restaurant area I thought I had stepped into Miss Kitty’s in Marietta, Georgia. There right before my eyes was a dozen Line Dancers dancing to American Country Music. On further investigation I discovered that clubs are spreading throughout France and Europe. What have we done?
During 5 days of some of the most intense competition I have ever seen the bar never touched the floor until deadlift time. The lifters stayed with the bar on all attempts and the spotter/loading was as good as it comes. There were no dumped bars due to the too tight to touch shirt but there was some outstanding bench pressing and deadlifting.
The GPC Officials were on duty doing their usual great job at keeping the contest going and the judging was consistent and fair. Thanks to our web master Wendi Michels for all the pictures she provided and taking the time to give me all the results and pictures all loaded on a little piece of computer called a jump drive.
We invite every one to the Canadian National Powerlifting and Bench Press
Championships running concurrently with the America’s Cup June 3-4 in Calgary. Followed July 7-9 by the APC National Powerlifitng and Bench Press Championships, meet director, Al Garcia in Sacramento, California. The APC continues to provide funding by way of The Athlete’s Fund to the winners of the APC Nationals to help pay the travel expenses of the winners to the GPC World Championships in Gent, Belgium. In the APC the membership card money is used to provide funding to The Athlete’s Fund which is used annually for funding to the GPC World Championships.This is presented with a great deal of enthusiasm and favoritism directed at the APC/GPC for the direction the organization taking for the betterment of Powerlifiting in general.
L B Baker