What is it?
Combined Nations is a coalition between UK lifters, Scotland, Ireland and UKIPL. GPC annual membership has been paid by the Combined Nations Coalition and for the purpose of sanctioning and international records, it will be viewed and treated like another member state or nation by the Global Powerlifting Committee.
Why was this formed? Just like any coalition, different members will have different reasons for joining. Following the success of the inaugural Four Nations Championship in Wales last summer, it was apparent to all that the organisers and officials worked very well together, and a discussion about pooling resources to offer more exciting opportunities for our lifters ensued. Team Ireland chose to seize the opportunity to join forces with other successful teams for just this reason, to be able to create even more exciting events for their lifters. Others chose to join for various reasons, including the fact that all promoters are vetted and must adhere to the GPC Code of Conduct. This is done to safeguard lifters, and any promoter or lifter with a criminal or violent history need not apply.
Is it a new federation? In Ireland and Scotland, no. GPC Ireland and GPC Scotland have agreed to join this group, and all GPC Ireland members are also de facto members of the Combined Nations Coalition. In the UK, yes, it is a new federation. In terms of international records and international competitions, the Combined Nations is recognised by GPC the same way it recognises any other national affiliate, so now UK lifters have two options to choose from when lifting in the GPC. It is also important to note that all GPC-GB lifters have the option to join the Combined Nations federation free of charge in 2024.
Do GPC or IPL rules apply? The only difference in IPL and GPC rules is the squat walk out. Therefore, lifters must inform the referees ahead of time if they wish to set a GPC record, and must ensure that they properly use the Monolift when competing.
What about records? Not all GPC competitions or records are IPL and not all IPL competitions or records will automatically be GPC. But, if a lifter is competing in a Combined Nations event, they do have the opportunity to set records in either or potentially both with their lifts that day.
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Check out the Combined Nations Links: