The deadlift is a fundamental exercise in strength training, especially powerlifting, with conventional and sumo variations being the accepted stances in powerlifting competitions. Despite numerous biomechanical studies, recent data on deadlift stance preferences among competitive powerlifters remain limited. This study seeks to provide an updated understanding of these preferences, mainly focusing on trends in stance selection across different weight classes in male and female athletes over the past six years. This study utilized a non-experimental observational design, performing a notational analysis of international powerlifting competitions held by the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) from 2017 to 2023. The analysis included athletes who completed at least one deadlift attempt. Data on conventional and sumo stances were collected and subjected to linear trend analysis across various weight classes of both genders. The study showed a clear pattern for men’s and women’s categories: the sumo stance was more prevalent in the lighter-weight classes. In contrast, the conventional stance was more prevalent in the heavier-weight classes. There has also been a significant shift in deadlift stance preferences over time, with an increasing preference for the sumo stance, particularly among lighter-weight classes. Nevertheless, the utilization of the sumo stance has risen steadily in most of the weight classes, indicating a broader trend in powerlifting competition strategies. These results enhance understanding of current powerlifting practices and may guide coaching strategies to optimize performance based on an athlete's weight class and biomechanical considerations.