Powerlifter Jen Thompson is one of the greatest women’s bench pressers in the powerlifting industry. She has worked really hard to maintain her position at the top of the list, and she showed this again at the 2022 USAPL Carolina Primetime on October 15, 2022, at Palmetto State Barbell in Greenville, SC.
Jen had one of her best career performances, topped off by a new 327.5 lb (148.5 kg) USAPL American national bench press record.
Jen wore her singlet and wrist wraps on the bench and performed the lift without a belt. When the barbell was unracked and paused, Jen received the press command and wasted no time. Once she racked up the bar, she stood up and saw three white lights while listening to AC/DC’s Thunderstruck in the background.
Powerlifter Jen Thompson’s Performance
Over the past few months, Jen has been focused on the 2022 USAPL Carolina Primetime. So it is no surprise that this is one of her greatest performances. Jen successfully completed all nine lifts and scored new squats and benches.
While she received compliments from other powerlifting greats, such as Ed Coan, she was not content as she felt she could have done better.
Although Jen Thompson was happy to break this bench press record, she explained in an Instagram post that she felt capable of lifting more weight. Jen also claims that this is an unofficial world record.
- Squat — 265 kilograms (584.3 pounds)
- Bench Press — 148.5 kilograms (327.5 pounds)
- Deadlift — 202.5 kilograms (446.5 pounds)
- Total — 646 kilograms (1,358.3 pounds)
According to the results list, Jen came in at 67.55 kilograms (148.9 pounds) of body weight and was placed in the under 75-kilogram weight category for the first time, where she was set to beat the USAPL Bench Press Record. Having competed in the raw division, Thompson only utilized wrist wraps to aid her in the lift.
Powerlifter Jen Thompson has great potential to unleash in the upcoming events. She broke the previous record, having outperformed it by a margin of 18.5 kilograms (40.8 pounds), which was impressive for everyone.
Jasmyn Penn set the record in the U75KG category at the USAPL American National Record of 130 kilograms, which she set at the 2021 USAPL Raw Nationals.
In Conclusion
Powerlifter Jen Thompson now holds the USAPL American Bench Press Record in three separate weight categories: U60kg, U67.5KG, and U75KG. It is rare for anyone to boast of such a feat, and it is unlikely that it will be repeated for a long time.
Had this been an international meet, this would’ve been Jen Thompson’s 78th world record of her career. Those records, combined with her 50-plus titles, put her on the shortlist of greatest powerlifters of all time in the eyes of her supporters.