{"id":26250,"date":"2026-08-05T22:02:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T22:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=26250"},"modified":"2026-08-05T22:02:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T22:02:00","slug":"powerlifting-champion-sonita-muluh-speaks-out-after-racism-row","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=26250","title":{"rendered":"Powerlifting Champion Sonita Muluh Speaks Out After Racism Row"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Belgian champion Sonita Muluh says she fears competing after a spotter’s alleged admission that he intentionally interfered with her record attempt prompted a criminal investigation.<\/p>\n

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Sonita Muluh \u2013 via IG screenshot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

*Belgian powerlifting champion Sonita Muluh<\/strong> says she no longer feels safe competing after a spotter involved in her failed world-record squat attempt allegedly admitted on social media that he intentionally sabotaged the lift because of her race. This claim has since triggered a criminal investigation in Lithuania.<\/p>\n

Muluh was attempting a record 334.5-kilogram (737-pound) squat at the World Powerlifting Championships in Lithuania in June when spotter Ernestas Kusinas made contact with the bar using his knee. Judges ultimately disqualified the attempt because of a separate technical infringement, ending her chance to break the record.<\/p>\n

Weeks later, the controversy intensified when Kusinas posted on Instagram, \u201cI am racist, and I did it intentionally.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to BBC Sport<\/a>, Muluh said discovering the post weeks after the competition completely changed how she viewed the incident.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s shocking to wake up five weeks later and it\u2019s all over the internet that he did it on purpose because of the colour of my skin,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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