Fan Chun-Chia Sets New World Record in Bench Press to Win Gold at 2026 World Open Classic Powerlifting Championships

(Taipei, June 16, CNA by reporter Li Jian-Zhong) Taiwanese male powerlifter Fan Chun-Chia claimed gold at the '2026 World Open Classic Powerlifting Championships' held in Lithuania today, setting a new world record of 216 kilograms in the bench press (lying press). He also achieved third place in his weight class with a total lift of 781 kilograms.

Upon learning of the achievement, President Lai Qing-De immediately sent a congratulatory telegram, praising the athlete's outstanding performance and encouraging the national team to continue striving for personal and national glory.

The 27-year-old Fan Chun-Chia is a dominant force in Taiwan's powerlifting scene. At last year's Classic Powerlifting World Championships in Germany, he set a world record of 215 kilograms in the bench press—an achievement he has now surpassed.

In the men's 74kg division, 23 athletes competed. Fan recorded 262.5 kilograms in the squat, ranking fifth in the category. In his strongest event, the bench press, he successfully lifted 205 kilograms on his first attempt, then cleared the new world record of 216 kilograms on his second. His third attempt to raise the record to 218 kilograms failed.

In the deadlift, Fan lifted 302.5 kilograms, placing seventh in the category. His final total of 781 kilograms earned him third place overall. This total exceeds ten times his competition body weight of 73.65 kilograms.

Taiwan sent eight athletes to the 2026 World Open Classic Powerlifting Championships: You Yao-Wei, Huang Wei-Chen, Lin Jing-Lun, Tseng Wei-Xiang, Cheng You-Rui, Fan Chun-Chia, Wu Yi-Qiu, and Wang Pei-Yu. Only Wang Pei-Yu remains to compete in the men's 120+ kg category; all other team members have completed their events.

The Sports Administration stated that Taiwan's powerlifters have recently demonstrated strong training outcomes, highlighted by winning 2 gold and 1 silver medal at the 2025 Chengdu World Games. Moving forward, the administration will continue to provide comprehensive training and logistical support to athletes, aiming to enhance the sports training environment and enable more athletes to showcase their abilities on the global stage. (Edited by Zhang Ming-Kun) 1150616

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