Tragedy as world champion powerlifter Phil Richard dies aged 52 with devastated colleagues sharing tributes

A FORMER world powerlifting champion has tragically died at the age of just 52 with devastated colleagues sharing heartfelt tributes.

Powerlifter Phil Richard took numerous European and British titles and set various records during his stellar 45-year-long career.

WNSPowerlifter Phil Richard has tragically passed away aged 52[/caption]

WNSHe scooped numerous European and British titles during a career spanning over four decades[/caption]

WNSHe won junior and pro titles on a number of occasions[/caption]

The dad-of-three, from Swansea, Wales, began his powerlifting career as a junior in the early 1980s and competed at his first international competition in 1988.

Phil was junior world champion three times and masters champion on four occasions.

He also represented Great Britain at the 2005 World Games and was invited twice to lift at the UK Arnold in his fifties.

In the powerlifting community, Richard was described as the life and soul of the party – small in stature but huge in spirit and strength.

Fellow British lifter Tony Cliffe commented: “[Richard] was inspirational for me as a stalwart of the British team when I started lifting, he was so supportive, encouraging and everything you’d want from a role model, he was also fun to be around and would lift the mood no matter the circumstances.”

International Powerlifting Federation president Gaston Parage paid tribute to Richard on social media.

He said: “Phil was a British Powerlifting and EPF (European Powerlifting Federation) hall of famer and was a long-standing proponent of equipped powerlifting.

“Phil was well known and well liked throughout the powerlifting community and he will be sadly missed.

“On behalf of the IPF Executive Committee, we send our deepest condolences to Phil’s family, to British Powerlifting, to his friends, and to all that knew him.”

At the time of his passing, Richard was Classic British Masters Champion, Equipped European Masters Champion, and Equipped Western European Champion.

As well as having a passion for powerlifting, he also worked as a senior process technician in the mining industry.

Richard opted to miss last year’s World Championships in Malta for financial and family reasons – but had planned to bring another world title back to Wales in 2024.