Aviemore teen Joel Aragoneses claims world powerlifting title

Aviemore has a new powerlifting world champion - although the strath will have to share Joel Aragoneses’ brilliant success with Spain.

The 18-year-old was competing under his homeland’s flag at the prestigious International Powerlifting Federation Sub-Junior and Junior World Powerlifting 2024 championships at St Paul’s Bay in Malta at the weekend.

The former Kingussie High School pupil lifted the crown thanks to winning combine lifts of 300 kilogrammes in the squat, 175kgs in the bench press and a decisive 317.5kgs deadlift.

Aragoneses went into his third and final deadlift knowing that success would be enough to see off the challenge of his closest rival Ashton Fischer of the United States.

“It feels great to be a world champion,” said Aragoneses who was competing in the U18s sub -105kgs weight division against 12 other best world youths.

The High Life Highland personal trainer and leisure assistant secured competition personal bests in the squat and bench press.

This meant he went into the deadlift knowing that a lift of 317.5kgs - below his training PB - would deliver him the world title.

“It was my last lift which is why I went easier,” explained Aragoneses, whose parents are both Spanish.

“I knew I had it - so I just had to make sure that I executed the lift correctly.

“It felt really good to win but it was also a relief. I had been confident going into the contest that I was going to take the win home.”

Aragoneses had been training five days per week since the end of June for three to four hours a day in preparation for the world champs at Pure Gym in his home town of La Linea by the border with Gibraltar.

Aragoneses will return to Scotland later today from Spain as he begins his degree course in business management at Edinburgh University.

He has one more major outing in the sub-junior group at U18 level before progressing to the juniors for under-21s and he hopes to leave a legacy at the forthcoming European Powerlifting Federation Junior Championships in Pilsen in the Czech Republic.

Aragoneses said: “I do not have any direct competition at the Euros as Ashton Fischer can not compete of course.

“My intention is to get easy wins on my second attempts and then go for world records in my division.

“It will depend on the day how I am feeling if I can set them but that’s the plan.”

Aragonese thanks all those both at home and in Spain who have supported him on his journey to become world champions.

A training injury had cost him his place at the 2023 International Powerlifting Federation Junior World Championships in Cluj Napoca in Romania.

He then went on to claim bronze in the European Powerlifting Federation Junior Championships in his division in Budapest in Hungary.

Aragoneses moved to the strath around seven years ago.

His aim is to one day lift the IPF (International Powerlifting Federation) Worlds title and compete at the Olympics.

The full results can be seen at www.powerlifting.sport/fileadmin/ipf/data/results/2024/sub-junior-junior-powerlifting/Final_Results_Men_Classic.pdf

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