Taylor Atwood Is So Back [Video]

Of the 10 best powerlifters in the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF), only three are men. Ranked by GL points — a metric used to rank athletes of different weights and genders against each other — Taylor Atwood is fifth in the world.

Here’s the kicker: his ranking is from a 2021 performance. The only other athlete to remain in the top 10 GL point rankings is Jesse Norris, the 10th-placer with a result from a decade ago.

Atwood built a career as one of powerlifting’s best middleweight athletes, maybe ever. After a string of mishaps derailed his comeback earlier in the year, Atwood found his stride. His most recent performance seems to herald the return of one of powerlifting’s modern greats.

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On Oct. 27, 2024, Atwood competed in Powerlifting America‘s Scary Strong 3 meet in Stoneham, MA, in the 83-kilogram category.