Powerlifter Says Racist Spotter Sabotaged 737-Lb Squat, Police Now Investigating
Powerlifter Sonita Muluh has raised serious concerns about athlete safety after a spotter interfered with her massive 334.5-kilogram (737.4-pound) squat attempt at the 2026 IPF World Classic Open Powerlifting Championships in Lithuania.
What initially appeared to be a spotting mistake became a much more serious controversy after the volunteer spotter, Ernestas Kusinas, posted a racist message online claiming that he had interfered with Muluh’s attempt intentionally. Kusinas later said the message was meant sarcastically to mock accusations against him and maintained that the contact with the bar was accidental.
The incident has since resulted in Kusinas being permanently banned by the Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation, while Lithuanian police launched an investigation into the matter in early August.
Sonita Muluh Says Incident “Put My Life In Danger”
Muluh, representing Belgium, was competing in the +84kg division at the World Classic Open Championships in Druskininkai when she loaded 334.5 kilograms for her third squat attempt.
Official IPF results show Muluh opened with 300 kilograms before successfully squatting 321.5 kilograms on her second attempt. She then moved to 334.5 kilograms for her third. The attempt was ultimately unsuccessful after contact was made between Kusinas and the barbell during the lift.
Video of the attempt shows Kusinas, positioned alongside Muluh as one of the spotters, moving his leg underneath the loaded bar.
The controversy escalated after Kusinas wrote a racist message online claiming that his actions had been intentional. According to Reuters, he later denied deliberately interfering with the attempt and said the post was written to mock people accusing him of racism.
For Muluh, however, the incident raised a much larger question about whether she could trust the people responsible for protecting her while hundreds of kilograms were on her back.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Muluh accused the International Powerlifting Federation of failing to adequately protect her, saying the situation had “put my life in danger.”
She also explained that the experience would leave her questioning the spotters around her at future competitions.
“I have dealt with racism in numerous ways but never in this manner,” Muluh said in comments reported following the incident.
Muluh noted that she had initially believed the contact was simply a mistake and had even defended the spotter before seeing his subsequent social media comments.
Spotter Permanently Banned As Police Investigate
The Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation took action following the controversy, permanently banning Kusinas from participation within the federation.
The IPF subsequently released its own statement on July 27 acknowledging the incident and condemning racism and discrimination.
“The IPF unequivocally condemns racism, discrimination, and hateful conduct in all its forms,” the federation said. “Such behavior has no place within the IPF or the global powerlifting community.”
The IPF also praised the Lithuanian federation for its response and said it would work with its commissions, safeguarding officer and championships team to examine ways to strengthen the recruitment, screening, accreditation and oversight of volunteers at future events.
The matter did not end with the sporting sanctions.
Reuters reported on Aug. 3 that Lithuanian police had opened an investigation following the incident and Kusinas’ online comments.
Kusinas disputed the allegation that he intentionally sabotaged Muluh’s squat. He told Reuters that the contact during the lift was accidental and said his inflammatory social media statement was intended as mockery rather than an admission that he had deliberately targeted Muluh.
Muluh Was Attempting One Of The Biggest Squats In Women’s Powerlifting
The circumstances are particularly alarming because of the extraordinary amount of weight involved.
Muluh weighed 143.1 kilograms at the competition, according to the official IPF results, and successfully recorded a 321.5-kilogram squat and 162.5-kilogram bench press before her 334.5-kilogram third squat attempt.
At more than 737 pounds, even a small mistake by the people tasked with protecting an athlete can carry enormous consequences.
Muluh has established herself as one of the strongest women in powerlifting. The Cameroon-born Belgian star became an IPF world champion in 2024 and has competed at the highest level of the sport internationally.
Now, an incident that began with a failed squat attempt has developed into a controversy involving allegations of racism, athlete safety, a lifetime federation ban and a police investigation.
For Muluh, the lasting concern extends beyond whether the 334.5-kilogram squat could have been completed. It is whether she can step underneath a heavily loaded bar at her next competition and have complete confidence in the people standing beside her.
Image embed via Instagram @sonia_ml
