Powerlifters vs Olifters, who’s stronger?

Check this article out from Catalyst Athletics site:

“Powerlifters and Olympic Weightlifters love to engage in verbal brawls. These brawls are almost always centered on the question of “Who is really stronger… powerlifters or weightlifters?” No matter how many voices of reason attempt to intervene with the idea that the two sports are simply quite different and difficult to compare, most coaches and athletes in both sports will throw rational thinking out the window and dive into a conversation that closely resembles two cavemen clubbing each other in the head with dinosaur bones. These exchanges pop up in articles and internet message boards quite often. But despite the fact that these arguments are frequent, it is noticeably rare to see athletes from powerlifting or weightlifting actually attempt to cross the great divide and convert from one sport to the other….

However, there have been some amazing examples of crossover success. The two most popular case studies in this department, and the favorite arguments of the powerlifting faithful, are the accomplishments of Mark Henry and Shane Hamman. Both Mark and Shane were record-holders in powerlifting with some behemoth numbers to their credit. They both left their squat/bench/deadlift days behind and became Olympic Weightlifters, and they both won multiple national championships on the way to becoming Olympians. So, does this mean that every strength athlete who attempts to convert to a different sport will have the same success as Mark and Shane? The answer is clearly “NO” because not every athlete has it in their destiny to make an Olympic Team. But the question remains, “If lifters decide to convert from one sport to another, can they expect to have success?” The answer is a complicated one with several variables to consider. This article will examine my own personal experience in this area along with some analysis of the basic challenges associated with jumping the strength sport fence.”

From Two Roads Diverged: A Look at the Conversion from Powerlifting to Weightlifting by Matt Foreman, Performance Menu Issue 45