Equipped Open National Teams

Automatic Selection

To earn automatic selection to the Open Equipped Women’s or Men’s National Team, an athlete must:

• Win their weight class in the Open Equipped division at the 2026 Open Equipped Nationals, and
• Achieve a minimum score of 5.0 on the Carpino Formula.

Note: A 5.0 Carpino score roughly corresponds to a total that would place approximately 5th at each of the last three Open Equipped World Championships.

Alternate Selection

If an athlete wins their weight class at the 2026 Open Equipped Nationals but scores below 5.0 on the Carpino Formula, their name and Carpino score will be added to the alternate pool for consideration.

The alternate pool also includes the following athletes (based on their relevant totals and Carpino scores):

• All lifters who competed in the Open Equipped division at the 2026 Open Equipped Nationals but did not win their weight class.
• All lifters who competed in the equipped division at the 2026 Powerlifting America Collegiate Nationals, Junior Nationals, or Master’s Nationals.
• Athletes who represented Powerlifting America at the 2025 World Games — they may apply their 2025 World Games total to the alternate pool.
• Guest lifters who competed in the Open Equipped division at the 2026 Open Equipped Nationals.
• Athletes who competed at the 2025 IPF Open Equipped World Championship — they may apply their total from that event to the alternate pool.
• Powerlifting America athletes required to reside outside the USA due to military or work obligations — they may use their total from the National Championship of their current country of residence (as a guest lifter) for the alternate pool.
• Powerlifting America athletes who competed at the 2026 Powerlifting America Open Classic Nationals and express interest in competing at the 2026 IPF Open Equipped World Championships by writing to Head Coach James Townsend within 1 week after their Classic Nationals competition — they will be entered into the alternate pool.
• Athletes who competed at the 2025 NAPF Open Equipped Championship — they may apply their total from that event to the alternate pool.

Head Coach Discretion: If the alternate pool includes scores exceeding 7.0 on the Carpino rankings, Head Coach James Townsend reserves the right to select any athlete from the rankings or even an athlete outside the alternate pool.

2026 Carpino 5.0 Totals (Minimum Qualifying Totals)

These are the approximate totals required to reach a 5.0 Carpino score for automatic selection:

Women

• 47 kg: 417.5 kg
• 52 kg: 470 kg
• 57 kg: 512.5 kg
• 63 kg: 537.5 kg
• 69 kg: 580 kg
• 76 kg: 585 kg
• 84 kg: 610 kg
• 84+ kg: 605 kg

Men

• 59 kg: 632.5 kg
• 66 kg: 695 kg
• 74 kg: 775 kg
• 83 kg: 875 kg
• 93 kg: 935 kg
• 105 kg: 1000 kg
• 120 kg: 1075 kg
• 120+ kg: 1075 kg