Classic - or unequipped - competition will take place until June 17 at the Rally Pointe Center.

Men's and women's events are part of the programme as well as junior and masters - veterans - competitions, which are the only ones to have begun so far.

Hartwig-Gary triumphed with total lifts of 391 kilograms in the under-52kg division for those aged between 50 and 59.

She dominated a competition in which Canada's Jayne Egan was a distant second with 300kg.

Carol Anthony of South Africa was third with 252.50kg.

Felicia Greenidge was a home winner after lifting 402.5kg in the under-84kg event.

Lee Lipsitz of the US was second with 395kg and there was bronze for Ireland's Helen Twomey with 385kg.

Takayuki Ito of Japan was among the winners on the men's side in the same age division.

He triumphed in the under-74kg contest with a total lift of 582.5kg.

Alimbek Rakhimov of Kyrgyzstan was narrowly beaten into second, with 580kg, and Peru's Jacob Carrasco Gonzalez was third, with 570kg.