Powerlifter spotter declares ‘I’m a racist’ after deliberately sabotaging record attempt

Sonia TwiggWed, August 5, 2026 at 7:01 PM UTC

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Sonita Muluh had been attempting to squat 334.5kg at the Powerlifting Championships in June - Dirk Waem/Getty Images

A spotter at the Powerlifting Championships admitted to sabotaging a female athlete’s record attempt, declaring he did so because he was “a racist”.

Sonita Muluh, a Belgian powerlifter, was attempting to squat 334.5kg in Lithuania in June when assistant Ernestas Kusinas placed his knee under the barbell, causing a failed attempt. The five spotters are only allowed to touch the weights if the athlete cannot fully lift them themselves.

Muluh initially defended his action, believing it to be a mistake, only for Kusinas to reply to a video posted by an American influencer, saying: “I am a racist, and I did it intentionally, because I hate you pieces of s---.”

His comments ensured the Lithuanian federation referred the incident to the police, who then started an investigation.

A police spokesman told Reuters the investigation would focus on the Instagram message and events at the championship, with a maximum penalty of two years in prison.

Kusinas said his Instagram comment was written out of anger, in response to racism accusations, and was intended not as a statement but as a mockery of the accusation. He said he unintentionally interfered with Muluh’s and other athletes’ attempts because he was tired after his duties at the event.

The Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation issued a lifetime ban and Kusinas subsequently made his social media accounts private.

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“I have dealt with racism in numerous ways but never in this manner,” Muluh said on Instagram.

In a separate post about the same incident, she said: “While this incident is now going to make me question every spotter standing next to me, question if I am safe.

“I wanted to say a BIG thank you to everyone that has ever spotted me and kept me safe without being bothered by the colour of my skin.

“I have seen people die with less weight on their back because of bad spotting but Thank God my story is that of no physical harm.”

Muluh later told BBC Sport that the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) “failed” her “through negligence and putting my life in danger”.

The IPF said in a statement: “The IPF is aware of the incident involving an individual serving as a volunteer spotter/loader during the 2026 IPF World Classic Open Powerlifting Championships in Lithuania.

“The IPF unequivocally condemns racism, discrimination, and hateful conduct in all its forms. Such behavior has no place within the IPF or the global powerlifting community.

“We acknowledge and commend the Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation for its prompt and decisive response to this matter, including its immediate action to permanently ban the individual from participation within the federation.”

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Source: “AOL Sports”