Taiwan's Fan Chun-chia breaks bench press world record in 74-kg class

Taipei, June 16 (CNA) Taiwanese powerlifter Fan Chun-chia (范峻嘉) won the gold medal in the men's 74-kilogram class bench press at the 2026 International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Classic Open Powerlifting Championships in Lithuania on Monday (local time), with a world record breaking 216-kilogram lift.

The 27-year-old Fan was one of 23 competitors in the men's 74-kilogram class, in which competitors' final results are calculated from the combined amount lifted in three separate categories -- bench press, squat lift and deadlift.

Fan opened the event by lifting 262.5 kilograms in the squat, placing him in fifth place overall.

In the bench press, Fan started with 205-kilogram, then successfully lifted 216 kilograms to break his own world record of 215 kilograms set in 2025 at the World Classic Powerlifting Championships in Germany.

He then attempted 218 kilograms but was unsuccessful.

In the deadlift section, Fan lifted 302.5 kilograms to finish in seventh place.

After combining the amounts lifted, Fan placed third in the men's 74-kilogram class with a combined weight of 781 kilograms, more than 10 times his body weight of 73.65 kilograms.

President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) sent a congratulatory message on learning of the result, praising Fan's performance and encouraging national athletes to continue striving for top honors for themselves and Taiwan.

The Ministry of Sports said in a statement Tuesday that Taiwan's powerlifters have performed outstandingly in recent years, including at the 2025 Chengdu World Games, where they won two gold medals and one silver.

The ministry said it will continue to provide comprehensive training and logistical support to help athletes perform on the international stage.