| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 November 1973 Baghdad, Iraq |
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) |
| Sport | |
| Country |  United States |
| Sport | Paralympic powerlifting |
| Disability | Polio survivor |
Medal record | |
Ahmed Shafik (born 10 November 1973 in Baghdad, Iraq) is an American Paralympic powerlifter of Iraqi descent, he represented the 2012 and 2016 Summer Paralympics. His father Abdul Shafik is a retired weightlifter who competed for the Iraq national weightlifting team. [1] [2]
Shafik was born and brought up in Baghdad. When he was three years old, he developed an ear infection, a high fever and a weakening immune system, the doctor gave him a polio vaccine but it permanently affected the use of his left leg which resulted in muscle atrophy. He wanted to become his father, Abdul Shafik, who was a weightlifter in the Iraq national weightlifting team but due to his Ahmed's disability, he was unable to fulfil his dream of becoming an Olympic weightlifter. At the age of fifteen, Ahmed was introduced to Paralympic powerlifting however the gym where the powerlifters were based was over 50 miles away and Shafik had to endure cycling to and from the gym. [3]
In 1998, Shafik made his debut international appearance at the World Para Powerlifting Championships representing Iraq and finished in fifth place. Even though it was a great result for him, it was not satisfying for the Iraq National Olympic Committee, the powerlifting team including Shafik were put into prison for 14 months under Saddam Hussein's regime whose son Uday Hussein was the ambassador of the country's committee. He sought refuge in the United States in 2001, this opportunity guided him to compete in the United States' Para Powerlifting team. He joined the US Army and was deployed in the Iraq War for two years. [4] [5]
Siamand Rahman was an Iranian Paralympic powerlifter. He won gold medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio, and the 2010 Asian Para Games in Guangzhou. He is the current IPC Powerlifting World Record holder in the +107 kg category with a 310.0 kilograms (683.4 lb) bench press and also holds the junior world record with 290.0 kilograms (639.3 lb) and the Paralympic Championship Record with 310.0 kilograms (683.4 lb). Siamand died on 1, March 2020 due to cardiac arrest.
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British Weight Lifting (BWL) is a trading name of the British Weight Lifters' Association Ltd (BWLA), the National Governing Body (NGB) in the United Kingdom for the sports of weightlifting and para powerlifting. The Association was initially established in 1910. From 1911 to 2003 its name was the British Amateur Weight Lifters' Association (BAWLA); and in 1957, it was incorporated as a limited company.
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Qualification for powerlifting at the 2024 Summer Paralympics begins on 1 March 2022 and ends on 26 June 2024. There will be a total of 180 powerlifters.
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