Powerlifter Sonita Muluh first shattered world records in April 2025 when she squatted a monstrous 311 kg (685 pounds). She attempted to break her own record at the IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships in June, with a 334.5 kg lift (737 pounds), when a spotter—who admitted he is racist online—sabotaged her lift, consequently disqualifying her. Now, Muluh is speaking out about the racially motivated act that cost her the world title.
During powerlifting, a spotter’s job is imperative to help prevent injury, support and protect the lifter, and ensure the validity of an attempted lift. However, Ernestas Kusinas, a volunteer spotter at the competition in Druskininkai, Lithuania, instead used the opportunity to interfere with Muluh’s lift, the Athletic reported.
On Muluh’s third attempt to lift 334 kg, Kusinas touched the weights with his knee. Competition judges ruled she was not allowed to reattempt the lift and she was disqualified, according to the BBC.
“I feel unsafe and uneasy that this person is standing beside me with massive weight, with what can go wrong, with the amount of weight on your back,” Muluh said, per the BBC. “I was lucky when I realized [it hit his knee] and I could stabilize it. Not everyone could. It was the heaviest ever squat for a female.”
Related: Boxer Terence Crawford Delivers the Most Shocking News About His Career
What initial observers might have assumed was just a spotter’s mistake was no accident. Kusina’s interference was intentional, and he admitted it on social media.
“I am racist, and I did it intentionally because I hate you pieces of sh*t,” he wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post from a now-deleted account, as reported by the Athletic. However, he told Reuters his Instagram comment was written out of anger after an unidentified social media user accused him of being racist, and was solely intended to mock the comment.
“I threw him the bone he wanted,” Kusinas told Reuters.
However, Kusinas has also been accused of reposting Nazi logos on social media, and comments of him referencing “Heil Hitler” online have resurfaced, according to the Athletic.
Now, the Lithuanian police confirmed a criminal investigation is underway that will focus on his Instagram comment and events at the championship. On August 3, a pre-trial investigation for alleged public expression of contempt or incitement to hatred/discrimination of a person belonging to a protected group was initiated, which holds a maximum penalty of two years in prison.
“He did not reach out afterwards to apologize, but he is not obliged to. I thought it was a human mistake, that cost me a lot on the day,” Muluh said, the BBC reported. “But there was no hatred [from me]. I didn’t lash out; didn’t curse at him. There was a video of it posted afterwards and I said: ‘I hope he does not get hate.’ I believed it was an honest mistake. And then I find out five weeks later that he said this.”
The 29-year-old—who first began competing in the sport in 2020—said she feels the International Powerlifting Federation, the sport’s world governing body, failed her and should complete background checks. “If you are going to put my life in someone else’s hands, at least make sure that person is well equipped to be able to protect me or keep me from harm. But they failed me [through] negligence and putting my life in danger,” she said.
Kusinas was issued a lifetime ban by the Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation in July. They also condemned racism and hateful conduct in all its forms in a statement.
“I hope [the IPF] do things differently—that they consider the safety of athletes more and especially minority people,” Muluh added. “I feel that’s what has been missing—we have been made to compete in places we didn’t feel welcome. Some Black athletes are booed in competition, we have to worry about our skin color while competing.”
Straight From 
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.
