Belgian powerlifter Sonita Muluh denied world title after spotter admits racist sabotage

The incident

On 21 June 2026, at the IPF World Powerlifting Championships in Druskininkai, Lithuania, Belgian lifter Sonita Muluh stepped up for her final squat attempt. The 29-year-old, world champion in 2024 and silver medallist in 2023 and 2025, needed 334 kg to extend her lead in the +84 kg category. As she descended, one of the five spotters assigned to her safety, Ernestas Kusinas, placed his right knee under the barbell. The contact prevented Muluh from completing a full squat, and the jury ruled the lift invalid. Her coach, Kristof De Coninck, protested immediately, but the officials refused a new attempt. Muluh had lifted 340 kg in training, and the 334 kg was within her capability. The title slipped away.

The confession

For over five weeks, the incident was treated as a human error. Then American powerlifter Joe Sullivan posted a video analysing Muluh's attempt. In the comments, Kusinas himself wrote: "I am a racist and I did it on purpose because I hate you, pieces of sh*t." The admission turned a sporting mishap into a case of deliberate, racially motivated sabotage. De Coninck later revealed that Kusinas had attempted similar interference with two other athletes of colour during the same competition. His social media profiles, visible before the event, contained neo-Nazi content and he bore a "White Pride" tattoo on his chest.

Muluh's response

Muluh, who had initially defended the spotter to shield him from online abuse, posted on Facebook days after the confession. "I am speechless. I have faced racism in countless ways, but never like this," she wrote. "I defended this man, hoping he wouldn't get hate comments, because I thought it was an honest mistake (we are all human, after all). To now read this from that same person is heartbreaking." In an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, she added: "I feel so much frustration. I worked and trained so hard, I had to overcome injuries. To end the World Championships like this, nobody wants to experience that. I am angry. I have had a lot of trouble sleeping."

Federation actions

The Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation imposed a lifetime ban on Kusinas. The International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) stated it "unequivocally condemns racism, discrimination and hateful behaviour in all its forms." The Belgian federation expressed shock and said it had contacted both the IPF and the Lithuanian body, demanding a thorough investigation because "it is not impossible that other racialised athletes were targeted by the same acts of racism." Muluh, however, criticised the federations for acting only after the public outcry: "Now that the whole powerlifting community is outraged, I feel like federation officials are trying to give the impression of doing me justice. But it's not justice. It's too late, I lost that title and the sponsors."

Wider implications

The case raises questions about vetting of event staff. Muluh pointed out that Kusinas's extremist views were publicly visible before the competition. "They don't check their backgrounds. This man openly displayed on social media that he was a neo-Nazi," she said. De Coninck confirmed that the spotter had targeted other athletes of colour. The incident has sparked calls for stricter accreditation processes at international powerlifting events.