A process for the preparation of a gel spun UHMWPE fiber comprising the steps of - providing an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene composition having • an intrinsic viscosity (IV) of at least 8 dl/g, determined as described in the METHODS OF MEASUREMENT herein; • a co-monomer content (C BR ) of a least 0.05 SCB/1000TC, determined as described in the METHODS OF MEASUREMENT herein; and • a mass averaged distribution of the co-monomer (C MAD ) of at least 0.05 according to: C MAD = ∫ 0 ∞ br M ⋅ M ⋅ dw dM dM ∫ 0 ∞ M ⋅ dw dM dM wherein dw dM is the molecular weight distribution of the UHMWPE composition, as obtained by, e.g. SEC-IR; br ( M ) is the co-monomer distribution, expressed as the number of branches per 1000 total carbon in the molecules of UHMWPE composition, having molar mass M , as measured by SEC-IR, and wherein the co-monomer has at least 4 carbon atoms, - dissolving the composition in a solvent to form a polymer solution having a UHMWPE concentration of between 2 and 40 wt%; - spinning the polymer solution through a multi orifice die plate to form a solution fibers - cooling the solution fiber to below 80°C to form a gel fiber; - drawing the fiber in at least one step to form a drawn fiber; and - removing at least a portion of the solvent before, during or after the drawing, characterized in that the ratio C MAD to C BR is greater than 1.0. - providing an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene composition having • an intrinsic viscosity (IV) of at least 8 dl/g, determined as described in the METHODS OF MEASUREMENT herein; • a co-monomer content (C BR ) of a least 0.05 SCB/1000TC, determined as described in the METHODS OF MEASUREMENT herein; and • a mass averaged distribution of the co-monomer (C MAD ) of at least 0.05 according to: C MAD = ∫ 0 ∞ br M ⋅ M ⋅ dw dM dM ∫ 0 ∞ M ⋅ dw dM dM wherein dw dM is the molecular weight distribution of the UHMWPE composition, as obtained by, e.g. SEC-IR; br ( M ) is the co-monomer distribution, expressed as the number of branches per 1000 total carbon in the molecules of UHMWPE composition, having molar mass M , as measured by SEC-IR, and wherein the co-monomer has at least 4 carbon atoms, • an intrinsic viscosity (IV) of at least 8 dl/g, determined as described in the METHODS OF MEASUREMENT herein; • a co-monomer content (C BR ) of a least 0.05 SCB/1000TC, determined as described in the METHODS OF MEASUREMENT herein; and • a mass averaged distribution of the co-monomer (C MAD ) of at least 0.05 according to: C MAD = ∫ 0 ∞ br M ⋅ M ⋅ dw dM dM ∫ 0 ∞ M ⋅ dw dM dM wherein dw dM is the molecular weight distribution of the UHMWPE composition, as obtained by, e.g. SEC-IR; br ( M ) is the co-monomer distribution, expressed as the number of branches per 1000 total carbon in the molecules of UHMWPE composition, having molar mass M , as measured by SEC-IR, and wherein the co-monomer has at least 4 carbon atoms, - dissolving the composition in a solvent to form a polymer solution having a UHMWPE concentration of between 2 and 40 wt%; - spinning the polymer solution through a multi orifice die plate to form a solution fibers - cooling the solution fiber to below 80°C to form a gel fiber; - drawing the fiber in at least one step to form a drawn fiber; and - removing at least a portion of the solvent before, during or after the drawing, characterized in that the ratio C MAD to C BR is greater than 1.0. <EOS>