A LAUNCESTON powerlifter has broken a British bench press record which stood for 15 years.

Jade Farrington lifted 75.5kg at the British Drug Free Powerlifting Association’s South West Single Lift Championships in Plymouth on Sunday to take the national unequipped record.

Jade, who trains at Launceston’s Crunch Gym and Plymouth Performance Gym, weighed in at 59.2kg - only 700 grams into the under 63kg weight category for which she now holds the record.

Jade said: “My warm up went well so I opened at 67.5kg - the lift which won this year’s world championships which I didn’t attend.

“I went for 73kg with my second lift to break my own south west record, then 75.5kg to break the 75kg unequipped single lift bench press national record which had stood since 2000.

“Breaking that record has been one of my goals so I was incredibly pleased to manage it. I want to thank everyone who’s helped and supported me to reach it.”

Jade has previously broken the national record in the under 58.5kg weight category and holds five south west records in that class, including in the squat and deadlift. She is now unable to compete in those lifts due to the deterioration of her metal femur which was replaced with a prosthesis following bone cancer, and therefore focuses on the bench press.