Bev Francis set a 140.0 kg bench press world record and 525.0 kg total world record in the 75 kg class at Melbourne University.
On 18 October 1981, at the Melbourne University Powerlifting Championships, Bev Francis recorded a world-record bench press of 140.0 kg and a world-record total of 525.0 kg in the 75 kg weight class.
This meet added two further world records to Francis's rapidly growing collection, reinforcing her position as the dominant force in women's powerlifting during the early 1980s. Her bench press mark was particularly significant, as upper-body pressing strength was an area where few women had approached such totals in sanctioned competition.
This record came in the same year that Francis reportedly bench pressed 150 kg (330 lb) at the World Powerlifting Championships—widely cited as the first time a woman exceeded 300 lb on the bench press. Together, these performances at Melbourne University and on the world stage marked 1981 as a watershed year for Francis, cementing her reputation not just as a champion but as a lifter who was fundamentally expanding perceptions of female strength potential.