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BENDIGO pocket-dynamo Kevin Gray has set a new world record in men's powerlifting.
Competing at an international event in Sydney on Saturday, Gray squatted 240kg - almost five times his own body weight - and more than 10 kilograms over the former record.
Gray, who trains at the Real Strength Gym Castlemaine, broke the previous 59kg class mark of 227.5kg set by Russian powerlifting legend Sergey Fedosienko.
The 32-year-old set a new mark of 228kg with his second squat at the International Pacific Invitational event.
What followed next stunned a big crowd at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre as Gray, who stands 122cm and weighs 57kg, produced an astonishing 240kg lift.
While Gray's feat shocked plenty in attendance, it came as no surprise to his coach and trainer Dean Mawby.
The veteran powerlifter has watched his protege steadily rise through the ranks and set new records since first walking through the doors of his Castlemaine gym about 14 months ago.
Mawby had no hesitation in branding Gray "the best pound for pound" powerlifter in the world.
"It was a very stressful time, being a world competition, there are no free kicks anywhere," he said.
"You are left to your own devices and have to warm up in strange conditions with a lot of people around you that you don't know.
"Just to get Kevin out on the platform is a huge thing, but he settled down and got the 228kg.
"He didn't even know what his third attempt was going to be, but he just went out there and squatted it.
"During the day a couple of world records were broken by international lifters and they beat them by 500 grams or a kilogram, Kevin's went up 12.5kg and that just doesn't happen."
Mawby doubted whether 34-year-old Fedosienko, who was the owner of 10 world records between 2003 and 2015 and is a professional powerlifter, would be capable of reeling in Gray's new world mark.
"We're hoping he does try and knock off the record, because Kevin has a lot still left in him in," he said.
"It could be a good contest over time.
"It's a considerable chunk of weight to peg back and I don't if Sergey has that in him right now.
"I do know he's not used to being beaten - at all.
"The whole notion that Kev trains five hours a week and holds down a full-time job is remarkable."
Gray set the wheels in motion to breaking the world record by setting a new national mark of 222.5kg at a competition in Melbourne in December.
A week before the Sydney competition he squatted a double 228kg in training, leaving both lifter and his coach confident a a world record was in his grasp.
And how does a new world champion celebrate his Herculean accomplishment?
"We actually had a couple of beers over the road at the Hard Rock Cafe," Mawby said.
"It was a happy night."