Koykka sets world record in Asian tilt

MANILA, Philippines - Ormoc bookstore owner Anita Koykka began powerlifting only three years ago but at the age of 50, is now at her peak, establishing a new world record of 353 pounds – more than thrice her body weight – in the squat event of the Asian Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, recently.

Koykka, whose Finnish husband Tony is a former world powerlifting champion, competed in the women’s masters 52-kilogram class in Mongolia and shattered the previous mark of 352 pounds set by Japan’s Hatsuko Kimura in 2003. In all, she captured four gold medals in squat, bench press (165 pounds), deadlift (275 pounds) and total lift (805 pounds) to earn the women’s masters II Best Lifter trophy. Koykka also broke three Asian records in the process.

“No way she ever thought to be a world record holder in her ‘advanced’ age,” said Koykka’s husband. “As her coach, yes, I knew she could do it after a year and a half of training. She has the heart and will of a champion.”

Koykka trains four days a week at the Olympic gym in Ormoc. She does squats on Mondays, benchpress on Wednesdays and deadlift on Saturdays. Thursdays are for light training, repairing and adjusting. “Anita is training throughout the year, no holidays,” added her husband. “We are using very strict cycle training, similar to what I did during my heyday. It combines Finnish and Russian systems. Except in benchpress where we get help from Eddie (Torres) on modern methods.”

Koykka has managed a bookstore in Ormoc since 1991 and is involved in charity work with her husband and their only child Teresa, an 18-year-old Western Leyte College student. The family takes care of educating, feeding and clothing over 20 children.

Since Koykka started powerlifting, she has been unbeaten except at the World Masters Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic, last year when she brought back three silver medals and a bronze.

Koykka is now training for the Philippine Open in July. She will represent the country at the Asian Benchpress Championships in August and the World Masters Championships in Pilsen, Czech Republic, in September.

In Mongolia, Koykka was joined in the Philippine team by the country’s only other world record holder Lily Pecante, Torres, Patricia Llena, Leslie Evangelista, Tony Taguibao, Betsy Bordeos and Llena’s father and coach Leonard. The team collected 17 gold medals, 14 silvers and a bronze en route to breaking a world record and six Asian marks.

Torres, the Powerlifting Association of the Philippines (PAP) president, said the team was a mix of youngsters and veterans. Llena, 16, Bordeos, 19, and Evangelista, 28, comprised the “new generation” while Pecante, 45, Koykka, 50, Taguibao, 51 and Torres, 44, anchored the seniors squad.

The competition drew 263 lifters from 14 countries with Iran, Kazakhstan, Taiwan, Japan, India and Uzbekistan among the Asian powers.

Torres proudly reported that every lifter in the national team bagged honors. Llena wiped out three Asian sub-junior records in squat (418 pounds), deadlift (396) and total lift (1,014) then topped the benchpress (198) to pocket four gold medals in claiming the women’s sub-junior Best Lifter trophy.

Pecante, who won the gold medal at the World Masters Benchpress Championships in Orlando last month, also took four gold medals to earn the women’s masters I Best Lifter award. Taguibao, a five-time world champion, had no difficulty ruling the men’s masters 56-kilogram class, snaring four gold medals. Bordeos’s haul consisted of a gold medal in benchpress, silvers in deadlift and total lift and a bronze in squat in the women’s juniors 60-kilogram division. Evangelista, performing in her first overseas stint, got silvers in benchpress and deadlift in the women’s open 48-kilogram class. Torres, considered the country’s strongest man, brought home three gold medals in squat, deadlift and total lift to defend his men’s masters 100-kilogram class title.

Torres said Koykka is a product of PAP’s Visayas outreach program sponsored by Dewfoam. She entered her first competition at the Visayas Dewfoam Championships in 2007.

“We are on our 13th year of powerlifting in the south, thanks to Dewfoam,” said Torres.

“Aside from the PSC and POC, Dewfoam has been supporting the Philippine team for years. We wouldn’t have been able to compete in Mongolia and won honors for the country without the support of the PSC, POC and Dewfoam.”