At the 2026 Powerlifting United American Pro, John Haack pushed the ceiling higher yet again. Lifting in the 100-kilogram class, he navigated seven of eight attempts to finish with a 1,044-kilogram all-time raw world-record total—edging his own previous mark by half a kilogram.
A platform of white lights
Competing over two days at the Henrico Sports & Events Center in Richmond, Haack opened his squat at 340 kilograms, then loaded 380 kilograms for a second attempt that became an instant PLU national raw record. He cruised through bench on lifts of 232.5, 250, and 265 kilograms without a single miss.
Only two deadlifts were needed to clinch the record. Haack pulled 365 kilograms with a conventional mixed grip, then locked out 399 kilograms to seal the new total. He called for 420 kilograms on his final attempt and nearly had it, but missed the lockout—the sole blemish on his afternoon.
A half-kilo decade in the making
The tiny margin—0.5 kilograms beyond his 1,043.5-kilogram total at the 2024 Ghost Clash—belies the career it crowns. Across 32 meets since 2013, Haack has moved through weight classes and stacked world records, including a 1,022.5-kilogram total at 90 kilograms in 2022 that remains a benchmark for the sport.
In Richmond he left with the heaviest total of the meet, three new records, and the same quiet reality the platform has told for years: at his best, the American Pro lifter still stands alone.
