USAWA

Gold Cup 2025

By Chad Ullom

The 2025 Gold Cup in Derby, UK was one for the history books! Held at the outstanding University of Derby Sports Centre, the venue proved to be the perfect setting for a day filled with strength, camaraderie, and unforgettable moments.

Flawless Execution and Teamwork

Under the expert leadership of Steve Gardner and his dedicated crew, the meet ran like clockwork. With over 30 lifters competing across three groups on two platforms, the first attempts kicked off promptly at 10 AM and wrapped up by 1 PM—a remarkable feat made possible by the collective effort of lifters, loaders, and judges. Everyone pitched in, and the teamwork on display was nothing short of inspiring.

Personal Highlights and Record-Breaking Lifts

For some reason I chose the Middle Finger Straddle Deadlift and was happy to set a new 105KG record with a 141KG lift. Happily, my fingers came away unscathed 🙂

The day was packed with outstanding performances:

• Josh Davidson delivered the heaviest Strict Bent Press in IAWA history for his 2nd lift—a flawless and powerful lift that extremely fun to watch! His first lift was a full Gardner that also performed to perfection!
• Chloe Brennan with a massive 306KG Shanks Lift! So impressive to see how she handles the shanks lift and the Dinnie Stones!
• Matt Jones and Paul Halum both tackled the Domaal Squat, but Matt stole the show with a standout 70KG lift.
• John Moss impressed with a Two One-Inch Vertical Bar Lift of 250KG—a phenomenal display of grip strength.
• Michael Perry, at 60 years old, executed a 70KG Straight Arm Pullover that was simply unbelievable.
• Two lifters completed 60 reps of Bodyweight Deadlifts, pushing their limits in a truly grueling challenge.
• In a friendly family rivalry, Al Myers edged out his dad, Laverne, in a 2-Inch Bar Deadlift grudge match, 67.5KG to 65KG. Laverne narrowly missed 70KG on his fourth attempt!

Celebrating Community and Legacy

As always, the highlight for me was reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. These international meets are more than competitions—they’re reunions of a passionate and supportive community. I encourage all USAWA lifters to make the effort to attend an international event. You won’t be disappointed!

Evening Banquet and Special Awards

The day concluded with a wonderful banquet at Poms Restaurant, where every lifter received their Gold Cup. Several special awards were presented:

• The Karen Gardner Award, created by Frank Ciavattone, honors a female lifter who embodies Karen’s spirit. With an unenviable decision to make, this year, Chloe Brennan was the deserving recipient.
• The IAWA Commitment Award, presented by Paul Berette, recognized lifters who participated in the IAWA Worlds, Gold Cup, and World Postal. (Steve Gardner will provide a full recap of recipients.)
• Matt Jones received the Howard Prechtel Award for his outstanding Domaal Squat performance.
• The evening’s most emotional moment came with the presentations to Al Myers. I had the honor of presenting Al with a Lifetime Membership on behalf of USAWA. Al’s contributions are immeasurable—he updated the USAWA website, rewrote the rulebook, updated the record list, launched the Old Time Strongman division, revamped the officials program, and initiated the awards program. He’s also been a tireless promoter, competitor, and blogger.
• Immediately following, Al was awarded the IAWA Award of Merit. Al served as IAWA President for 12 years, attending nearly every World Championship and Gold Cup during his tenure. His commitment and humility are truly inspiring.

Final Thoughts

The 2025 Gold Cup was a shining example of what makes our sport so special—dedication, sportsmanship, and a deep sense of community. Congratulations to all the lifters, organizers, and supporters who made this event unforgettable.

Thank you, Steve Gardner, and thank you, Al Myers, for your unwavering commitment to the strength community

The forms for renewing your individual and club memberships are available under “About Us” and then “Forms and Applications”. Check it out.

Also, the record lists were updated last weekend. Take a look at the Records page. I made a few simple changes to better organize the page. All the Individual Records and past records are in one place and all the Team Records are also in one place. it’s a small change, but the page is a little better organized. As usual, let me know if there is anything we can do to make it more functional.

The Record sheets will be updated when the quarterlies are ready. This will include the OTSMs in Colorado and Missouri as well as the One Ton Challenge and Two Fisted Challenge. All these records are added in. The Century Club lists are updated! Welcome and Congratulations to Jessica Hopps and Wade Marchand – they are now in the Century Club. There were some big movers on the women’s side. Lisa Gore added 65 new records as she moved into a new age class. She moves up to #2 all time among female lifters. On the men’s side Jeff Wenzel added 48 new standards to move up to 13th all-time. Sanjiv Gupta moved up 16 places with a big quarter and Frank Ciavattone moves into 4th all time. Since the Untied States is turning 250 this year, the record lists have a new feature. All those with more than 250 records are bolded and belong to the new USAWA250 Club level. On the women’s side – the top three are bolded. On the men’s side, it’s the top 15. Also, I have a new team record table. For those who may have been a member of more than one team, there is the top 10 individual team record holders table now. Enjoy! If there is any stat or table that you as a lifter would like to see, let me know.