2000 to Present

  As the new millenium dawned, weightlifting in North Carolina changed with the times. Olympic lifting was all but gone, and Powerlifting endured the many different organizations attempting to hold meets. The AAU once again was holding large meets in N.C.  On the down side, rediculous equipment , capable of boosting numbers, and renegade bench meets was common. On The positive side, there began a resurgance of raw lifting and also drug testing. Teens, women, masters, and sub-teens began to take to the platform in greater numbers.

Lifters now were all ages and included a very diverse group as lifters 8 to 80 lifted . The girls and boys showed they could handle the weights as well as the masters.  Teen lifting became popular , and there were also many white haired lifters at meets as well. The ladies of power lifted some credible weights.

Extreme bench press shirts and other gear often added over 200 lbs to one's actual lift. This and non drug testing often added to the dark side of weightlifting.

Lifters like Bob Strauss (L) Michael Belk and Jack Roten lifted big weights raw...without lifting gear as raw lifting made a comeback in N.C.

Michael Neal was supreme  in regulation drug tested meets

64 yr Red Swaim deadlifts 560 (above) in Jan 2002 and passed away in 2004

Tommy Coble (right) kept the fire alive and deadlifted 535 at age 66 in 2006