Bench Nationals 2008 Charlotte North Carolina

Here was my plan going in:
Open low, take raw and the M4 medals, then put something stupid on the bar and go for it. Actually this is not that bad a strategy, but my intended second lift would be to beat my raw number from St Louis because it would set the raw record higher. Then I would put on my bench shirt and try to beat the M3 equipped lifters for a place on the USAPL Masters World team.

Broken down here was my plan and how it worked out:
Open with a raw 325 and take the gold in both the Raw and the M4. I did not know that the final roster listed in the program would have Michael Belk in the Raw division. This would mean Silver for me for raw. Before the session I advised him to take a lesson from the 181 results. I don’t know that it was on my advice but he lowered his opener at the last minute. Had he stayed with the 579 as his opener (he missed it on his second and third attempts) it looks like I would have gone home with two golds. I hit the raw 325 with no problems.
For my second attempt I raised the weight to 375 and again lifted raw. This is 2.5 kilos over my last lift in St Louis. Unfortunately it was also 2.5 kilos too heavy.
At this point I put on my Shirt (46). Kevin Hutchison (M3) had made his second attempt at 210 k/463 lbs so I went 212.5 k/468 lbs.

I set up took the lift off held it for the start command. I took it to my chest and held it for the press command. I pressed it up (it slowed at the top but I locked it out), received the rack command and then stared at the light tree, three reds.
As I left the platform Robb Grisham told me he called me for having my hands outside the rings. I told Dave Doan what Robb said. (Dave put my shirt on and was calling my numbers for me.) Next thing I know, Devan Doan tells me that her dad has lodged a protest, on the grounds that I should never have been given the start command if my finger was not on the rings. Dave asked Robb what he gave me a red light for and Robb answered with the ring call. Johnny Graham said he called me for having my head off the bench. The third judge would not respond except to say he gave me a red light. Dave went to the jury and they said that regardless off what the judges called I had my head off the bench and they denied the lift.

Se La Vie, had the lift been good I would have secured a spot on the World team. I will now have to wait to see if I get an invite as an alternate. Sure would like to go to New Zealand!

Final results:
The 325 raw lift secured me the Gold in the M4 and the Silver in the 275 raw, both earned by opening light.