Fine lifting by Newton

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33963, 2 October 1975, Page 17

Fine lifting by Newton

The New Zealand Commonwealth Games British Olympic - style weight-lifting gold medallist in the light-weight division, George Newton, made a promising debut in power-lifting when he won the South Island championship at the Y.M.C.A. gymnasium in Hereford Street on Saturday.

Newton, now resident in Christchurch, where he is employed as an electrician, narrowly missed breaking the New Zealand record in the deadlift with 232.5 kg. He totalled 510 kg for the three lifts in the power-lifting category: the squat, the bench press, and the dead-lift. Newton won gold medals in Olympic-style lifting at the Commonwealth Games at Christchurch, Edinburgh, and Perth, and he won a silver medal at Jamaica. J. Dawson, of Canterbury, broke all Canterbury individual lift records to take the bantam-weight title. He lifted 100 kg in the squat, 65kg in the bench press, and 127.5 kg in the deadlift. He totalled 292.5 kg. Alan Butcher, of Canterbury', won the middle heavyweight title with a total of 610 kg. He narrowly missed getting down to the light heavy-weight division, in which his performance would have won him a number of records. He already holds some 20 records in powerlifting.

B. O’Driscoll, of Otago, took the heavy-weight title with a total of 595 kg. J. Gibson, of Otago, won the super heavy-weight division with a total of 610 kg.

A new class known as the “100 kg class,” which is halfway between the heavyweight and super heavyweight division, was won by J. Burbery, of Otago, with a total of 607.5 kg. M. Tomes, of Blenheim, took the light heavy-weight championship with a total of 533.5 kg. Canterbury won the teams contest with 21 points. Otago was second with 19 points, and Marlborough third with 11 points. The best lifts in proportion to bodyweight based on the Austin formula were.—Squat: M. Jordan (Canterbury);

bench press: B. McNicoll (Canterbury); dead-lift: A. Butcher (Canterbury).

A total of 22 lifters competed.

The referees were Mr Jock Morrison (chief), and Messrs lan Deihl and Paul Dorreen.