Australian Paralympic Powerlifting Team

Australia has been represented in weightlifting / powerlifting at every Games between 1964 and 2024, with the exception of the 2016 and 2020 games. Australian athletes have won a medal at every Games except 1984, 2012 and 2024. ^{[1] [2]} Paralympic powerlifting has been competed at every Summer Paralympics since 1984. Weightlifting had been on the Paralympic program since 1964, however after the 1992 Games the International Paralympic Committee made the decision to drop weightlifting and hold powerlifting events only.

Brian McNicholl, at the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games

Notable Australian athletes include:

• Vic Renalson, has won 3 gold medals and 1 silver medal in weightlifting events. He also won 2 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals in athletics events. ^[3]
• Brian McNicholl, has won 1 gold medal, 1 silver medal and 2 bronze medals in weightlifting and powerlifting events. ^[4]
• Darren Gardiner, has won 2 silver medals. ^[5]

Medal table

Games	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1964 Tokyo	0	3	0	3
1968 Tel Aviv	1	0	0	1
1972 Heidelberg	1	0	0	1
1976 Toronto	1	0	1	2
1980 Arnhem	0	0	2	2
1984 Stoke Mandeville	0	0	0	0
1988 Seoul	0	1	2	3
1992 Barcelona	1	0	0	1
1996 Atlanta	0	1	0	1
2000 Sydney*	0	1	0	1
2004 Athens	0	1	0	1
2008 Beijing	0	1	0	1
2012 London	0	0	0	0
2024 Paris	0	0	0	0
Totals (14 entries)	4	8	5	17

^{[1] [2]}

Summer Paralympic Games

Australian representatives in weightlifting and powerlifting:

1964

See also: Weightlifting at the 1964 Summer Paralympics

Australia represented by:
Men – Michael Dow, Gary Hooper, Vic Renalson ^[1]
Australia won three silver medals.

Medal	Name	Event
Silver	Michael Dow	Men's Featherweight
Silver	Gary Hooper	Men's Lightweight
Silver	Vic Renalson	Men's Heavyweight

1968

See also: Weightlifting at the 1968 Summer Paralympics

Australia represented by:
Men – Gary Hooper, Vic Renalson ^[1]

Medal	Name	Event
Gold	Vic Renalson	Men's Heavyweight

1972

Main article: Weightlifting at the 1972 Summer Paralympics

Australia represented by:
Men – Dennis Kay, Terry Mason, Vic Renalson ^[1]

Medal	Name	Event
Gold	Vic Renalson	Men's heavyweight

1976

Main article: Weightlifting at the 1976 Summer Paralympics

Australia represented by:
Men – Terry Mason, Vic Renalson ^[1]

Medal	Name	Event
Gold	Vic Renalson [1]	Men's middleweight
Bronze	Terry Mason [1]	Men's light featherweight

1980

See also: Weightlifting at the 1980 Summer Paralympics

Australia represented by:
Men – Barry Kalms, Brian McNicholl, John Sheil ^[1]

Medal	Name	Event
Bronze	Barry Kalms [1]	Men's lightweight −65 kg amputee
Bronze	Brian McNicholl [1]	Men's middleweight −75 kg paraplegic

1984

See also: Weightlifting at the 1984 Summer Paralympics

Australia represented by:
Men – Brian McNicholl ^[1]
Australia did not win any medals. Brian McNicholl came 4th in his event. ^{[1] [6]}

1988

See also: Powerlifting at the 1988 Summer Paralympics and Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Paralympics

Australia represented in powerlifting by:
Men – Michael Farrell, Matthew Pobje ^[1]
Australia represented in weightlifting by:
Men – Ray Epstein, Brian McNicholl, Arnie Money, Paul O'Brien, Col Richards ^[1]

Medal	Name	Event
Silver	Matthew Pobje	Men's 100 kg
Bronze	Michael Farrell	Men's 100 kg
Bronze	Brian McNicholl	Men's 85 kg

1992

See also: Weightlifting at the 1992 Summer Paralympics

Australia represented by:
Men – Ray Epstein, Steve Green, Brian McNicholl ^{[1] [7]}

Medal	Name	Event
Gold	Brian McNicholl	Men's 90 kg

1996

See also: Powerlifting at the 1996 Summer Paralympics

Richard Nicholson at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games

Australia represented in powerlifting by:
Men – Willem Bos, Michael Farrell, Brian McNicholl, Richard Nicholson
Coach – Blagoi Blagoev ^{[1] [8]}

Medal	Name	Event
Silver	Brian McNicholl	Men's Up To 90 kg

2000

See also: Powerlifting at the 2000 Summer Paralympics

Australia represented in powerlifting by:

Men – Shaun Cavuoto, Darren Gardiner, Steve Green, Paul Hyde, Richard Nicholson, Kahi Puru, Wayne Sharpe
Women – Deahnne McIntyre, Julie Russell, Vicky Machen, Kim Neuenkirchen, Melissa Trafela, Sue Twelftree
Coaches – Blagoi Blagoev (Head), Ray Epstein

Medal	Name	Event
Silver	Richard Nicholson [1] [9] [10]	Men's 60 kg

2004

See also: Powerlifting at the 2004 Summer Paralympics

Australia represented in powerlifting:
Men – Darren Gardiner, Steve Green, Wayne Sharpe
Women – Deahnne McIntyre
Coaches – Martin Leach (Coach), Michael Farrell ^{[1] [11]}

Medal	Name	Event
Silver	Men's +100 kg

Gardiner originally finished third but was awarded the silver medal after Habibollah Mousavi gold medallist in +100 kg was disqualified after a positive doping test.

2008

Main article: Powerlifting at the 2008 Summer Paralympics

Representing Australia in powerlifting:
Men – Darren Gardiner, Abebe Fekadu
Women – Deahnne McIntyre
Coaches – Ray Epstein (Head Coach), Bill Nancarrow ^{[1] [13]}

Medal	Name	Event
Silver	Darren Gardiner	Men's 100 +kg

2012

See also: Powerlifting at the 2012 Summer Paralympics

Selected team of 2 athletes.
Men – Darren Gardiner and Abebe Fekadu.
Coaches – Ray Epstein (Head)
Darren Gardiner, a previous Games medallist competed at his fourth Games and Fekadu, a refugee from Ethiopia at his second Games. Australia did not win any medals.

2016

No athletes selected.

2020

No athletes selected.

2024

See also: Powerlifting at the 2024 Summer Paralympics

Selected team of 2 athletes: ^[14]
Men – Ben Wright (powerlifter)
Women - Hani Watson
Coach – Simon Bergner (Head) ^[15]

Australia did not win any medals.

See also

• Powerlifting at the Summer Paralympics
• Weightlifting at the Summer Paralympics
• Australia at the Paralympics

References

1. "Powerlifting and weightlifting results". International Paralympic Committee Historical Results Database. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
2. Anjishnu Roy. "Paris 2024 Paralympics medal tally: Australian winners from every sport - full list and table" . Retrieved 30 January 2025.
3. "Vic Renalson". International Paralympic Committee Historical Results Database. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
4. "Brian McNicholl". International Paralympic Committee Historical Results Database. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
5. "Darren Gardiner". International Paralympic Committee Historical Results Database. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
6. "Results of VII World Wheelchair Games". Sports 'n spokes: 12. November–December 1984.
7. "History". Australian Paralympic Committee Media Guide Beijing 2008. Australian Paralympic Committee. 2008. p. 16.
8. Golden days of Atlanta : Xth Paralympic Games Atlanta, Georgia, August 15–25, 1996. Sydney: Australian Paralympic Federation. 1996.
9. Australian Media Guide : 2000 Paralympic Games. Sydney: Australian Paralympic Committee. 2000.
10. "Australian 2000 Paralympic Team". Pandora WSebsite. Archived from the original on 19 October 2000. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
11. Media Guide – Athens 2004 (PDF). Sydney: Australian Paralympic Committee. 2004.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
13. Media Guide Beijing 2008 (PDF). Sydney: Australian Paralympic Committee. 2008.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
14. Amanda Scott (6 September 2024). "PREVIEW: Historic Moment For Powerlifting Paralympic Debutants" . Retrieved 30 January 2025.
15. Josh Squire (25 July 2024). "Birmingham Bronze Medallists to Take on Paris Paralympic Powerlifting" . Retrieved 30 January 2025./