The Arnold Sports Festival 2024 has officially kicked off in Columbus, Ohio. With Arnold Strongwoman being the day’s first event, the competition was nothing short of entertainment. The Elephant Bar Deadlift saw an incredible lineup of athletes. However, it was 32-year-old Lucy Underdown who emerged victorious for her impressive deadlift in just two attempts.
What was even more impressive about the United Kingdom native was that she set a new world record of 666 pounds. No one else could come close to Lucy, and Andrea Thompson came in second place, lifting 642 pounds, and Victoria Lang came in third place, lifting 635 pounds. Lucy, who won the first event, was absolutely over the moon and spoke to the “Rogue Iron Game Fitness” team after her win.
After receiving an invitation to speak a few words about her incredible win and performance, host Sean Woodland praised her for her win and asked her what she felt out there after being on stage. Lucy, still unable to believe the entire thing, thanked the crowd. She felt it was their energy that allowed her to outperform the rest.
“The crowd was absolutely incredible, honestly. They were so loud when I was warming up, I was using that as a bit of inspiration to get into it, and get sucked up for the lift.”
Lucy added that the crowd was not only there to support the men’s category but also the women’s, which she felt was amazing. However, she confessed that she was nervous the entire time and broke down a bit in the morning before the event. She, however, backed herself at all times, and after her first lift, Lucy said she felt good and confident about herself.
After her win, the founder of the Arnold Sports Festival, 7-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger came up to the stage to congratulate Lucy. This was something she did not anticipate. The hosts, upon witnessing this beautiful moment, asked Lucy what that was like. Lucy said in the interview:
“Oh My God, that was incredible. Honestly, I was so starstruck. I was just opening my mouth, and oh my god. I’ve been buzzing to meet him all weekend”
She added that she felt she had more in herself and could have easily pulled off 700 pounds on that bar. However, she was not looking to do so considering there were upcoming events to participate in at the prestigious sports event.
With one event completed, Lucy is now looking forward to the next event of the day, the Timber Carry. The hosts asked her what she would be doing to prepare for it. Lucy responded calmly and pointed out that she would chill out for a while, take a good breather, and start warming up again.
“I really want to prove a point and have a really good show this weekend. Just want to be here, enjoy myself, and whatever happens happens.”
Lucy Underdown is looking to end on a high note with the Timber Carry as well as tomorrow’s events. She, however, isn’t confident about the event tomorrow but wants to put on an impressive show to attain maximum points. Her win at the Elephant Bar Deadlift does put Lucy in the driver’s seat, and it is yet to be seen how she will end her Arnold Classic 2024 journey.
Arnold Classic Strongwoman 2024 lineup and points after Day 1
The Strongwomen classic saw an incredible lineup of athletes come face-to-face to win the prestigious title. With fierce and tough competition, in the end, only one could be crowned the winner. With drama unfolding on the stage, Hannah Linzay found herself bleeding through her nose while lifting in her second attempt. She successfully lifted the weight but came in 6th in the event.
Donna Moore seemed to have suffered an ankle injury during the Timber Carry and Victoria Long, unfortunately, cannot take further part in the competitions after a hamstring injury at the Elephant Bar Deadlift event. The lineup and the points after the day 1 conclusion are as follows:
- Andrea Thompson — 23 points
- Lucy Underdown — 21 points
- Hannah Linzay — 17.5 points
- Olga Liashchuk — 14.5 points
- Inez Carrasquillo — 13 points
- Angelica Jardine — 13 points
- Rebecca Roberts — 12.5 points
- Melissa Peacock — 11.5 points
- Victoria Long — 10 points
- Erin Murray — 9 points
- Samantha Belliveau — 5 point
- Donna Moore — 5 points
Stay tuned for the upcoming events of the Arnold Sports Festival 2024 and witness who will be crowned champions this year.
