| Personal information | ||||||||||||
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| Born | 20 September 1982 Auckland, New Zealand | |||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||
| Sport | Para powerlifting | |||||||||||
Medal record
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Hani Watson (born 20 September 1982) [1] is an Australian para powerlifter. [2] [3] [4] [5] She was the first Australian to qualify in Para-Powerlifting in 12 years with 2024 Paris Paralympics as her debut. [6]
Watson who has lived in Queensland since she was a baby, was born on 20 September 1982 in Auckland, New Zealand. [7] She was born with bilateral leg metaphyseal dysplasia, which bowed her tibia and femur bones. Since the age of 9, she underwent multiple surgeries until she was 34, where her last attempt at correcting her legs have failed, as it is known now that she suffers a genetic predespsotion that her bones will continue to always grow bowed. Watson now suffers from multiple medical issues such as bone effusion, loss of sensation, muscle atrophy, chronic pain and osteonecrosis. [7] Watson uses a wheelchair but can also walk at times with great difficulty or uses the aid of crutches. Her disability is progressive and degenerative. [7]
Her name Hani, (pronounced ‘Har-Nee’) has a special meaning to her Niuean Polynesian background – it means “being one with the water.” [7] Hani currently resides in Queensland. [8]
Watson spent a great deal of time in the gym as her father was a bodybuilder. [3] In 2021, Watson took up para-powerlifting competitively. At the 2021 World Para-Powerlifting Championships in Georgia, she finished eighth and broke the Oceania record with a press of 120 kg in the +86 kilogram. [9] [10]
Watson has been on a steady increase since her international debut at the Georgia Tibilisi World Championships in 2021 by also securing Bronze at the Asia Oceania Championships in South Korea in 2022. [11]
Weeks after securing Bronze at the Asia Oceania Championships, she won a bronze medal breaking Australia’s 16 year drought in the heavyweight event at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. [12]
After a successful 3 year pathway to the Paris Paralympics, she was ranked eighth in the Women's 86 kg + with a best lift of 137 kg. [11] At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, she finished sixth in the Women's 86 kg + with a lift of 133 kg. [13]
Lucy Ogechukwu Ejike is a Nigerian Paralympic powerlifter. She has represented her country at six consecutive Paralympic Games from 2000 in Sydney through to 2021 in Tokyo. She has won medals at each, three gold, two silver and one bronze. She won a further silver medal at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth games women's lightweight category of the Para Powerlifting event behind compatriot Esther Oyema.
Darren Gardiner is an Australian Paralympic powerlifter. He has won two Paralympic silver medals in the Men's Over 100 kg powerlifting event. He did not medal at the 2012 Games.
Zoe Newson is a British powerlifter. She is a one-time silver and two-time bronze medalist at the Summer Paralympics and she won the silver medal in her event at the 2021 World Para Powerlifting Championships.
Sakina Khatun is an Indian powerlifter from West Bengal. She won bronze medal in the women's 61 kg event at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta is a Filipina retired Paralympic powerlifter. She became the first Filipina to win a Paralympic medal ever when she won bronze at the 2000 Summer Paralympics.
Louise Sugden is a British powerlifter and former international wheelchair basketball player.
Rhiannon Clarke is an Australian para-athletics competitor who specialises in sprint events. She won two bronze medals at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships. She represented Australia at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Nnamdi Innocent is a Nigerian Paralympic powerlifter. He represented Nigeria at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and he won the bronze medal in the men's 72 kg event. In 2021, he did not perform a successful lift in the men's 72 kg event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Guo Lingling is a Chinese Paralympic powerlifter. She won the gold medal in the women's 41 kg event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics held in Tokyo, Japan. She also won gold at the 2024 Summer Paralympics held in Paris, France. Guo is a four-time gold medalist at the World Para Powerlifting Championships.
Shi Shanshan is a Chinese Paralympic powerlifter. She represented China at the 2008 Summer Paralympics, at the 2012 Summer Paralympics and at the 2016 Summer Paralympics and she won the bronze medal in the women's 48 kg event in 2012.
Olivia Broome is a para powerlifter who won a bronze medal in the under-50 kg events at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Paralympics. She is the British and world junior record holder in the under-50 kg event, and has won multiple Para Powerlifting World Cup medals. She also won the junior under-50 kg event at the 2021 World Para Powerlifting Championships, silver medal in the women's 50 kg event, and a silver medal in the lightweight event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Besra Duman is a Turkish Paralympian para powerlifter who competes in the 55 kg division. She won the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.
Bonnie Bunyau anak Gustin is a Malaysian powerlifter. He won Malaysia's first ever gold medal in the sport in the men's 72 kg event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo and again at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris whilst breaking his own world record for men's 72 kg.
Alex Saffy is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. He won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships and a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. He won a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympics..
Sarah Clifton-Bligh is an Australian Paralympic athletics competitor. She competed at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Ben Wright is an Australian para powerlifter. Wright was successful in securing a spot via the Bipartisan Vote to compete at 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Ashok KumarMalik is an Indian para powerlifter from Haryana who qualified to represent India at the 2024 Summer Paralympics at Paris and finished sixth. He won silver medals in the Para Powerlifting World Cup, in Egypt in March 2024 to clinch an Olympic berth for India.
Onyinyechi Mark is a Nigerian powerlifter who competes in the 61 kilograms (134 lb) bracket. She won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in her category. She is also a two-time medalist at the World Para Powerlifting Championships.
Fatma Elyan is an Egyptian powerlifter who has competed in the 61 kilograms (134 lb) and 67 kilograms (148 lb) brackets. She is a silver medalist at the 2023 World Para Powerlifting Championships and 2024 Summer Paralympics.
Nadia Mohamed Ali is an Egyptian powerlifter. She has represented Egypt at the Summer Paralympics five times, in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2016 and 2024. In her first three appearances there, she had won a medal. She has also appeared in the World Para Powerlifting Championships six times, winning four medals.
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