Paralympic powerlifting

Paralympic Powerlifting / Para Powerlifting

Highest governing body	ISMGF (1964–1984) No Organ IPC Powerlifting (1984–2016) WPPO (2017–present)
Characteristics
Mixed-sex	Yes
Type	Indoor
Presence
Paralympic	1984

Paralympic powerlifting, also known as para powerlifting and para-lifting, is an adaptation of the sport of powerlifting for athletes with disabilities. The only discipline in Paralympic powerlifting is the bench press. The sport is governed by the International Paralympic Committee (World Para Powerlifting) and is open to anyone with a minimum level of disability who can extend their arms within 20° of full extension during a lift. Powerlifting has been competed at the Summer Paralympics since 1984. ^[1]

History

• 1964–1984: Wheelchair Powerlifting
• 1984–2016: Paralympic Powerlifting / IPC Powerlifting
• 2017–present: Para Powerlifting

Best and total medals

In 2022, WPPO initiated a new "total lift" medal, awarded for the sum of all good lifts from the three attempts. ^[2]

Before 2022 medal awarded only in Best lifts. Since 2022 medal awarded in best lifts and total lifts. The World Para-powerlifting 2022 Asia Oceania Open Championships was held in Pyeongtaek, Korea from 15 – 20 June, 2022. This was the first competition in history, in addition to the best lift, a total of three lifts were also awarded medals. ^[3]

• 1964/1984 – 2021: Only best lifts have medals
• 2022–present: Best lifts and total lifts have medals

Ages

Source: ^[4]

From 2002 to 2021: Junior (U20) and Senior (+20)

Since 2022:

• Rookie (14–17)
• Next Gen (18–20)
• Elite (+20)
• Legends (+45)

Junior events was held first time in 2002 (or 2006) World Championships.

time held years

• Only for men since 1964–1997
• Women events since 1998 (first time in 1998 World Championship)
• Mixed team events where held the first time in 2019

Weights

1984(1988)–2012

There were twenty powerlifting events, corresponding to ten weight classes each for men and women.

Men's 48 kg Men's 52 kg Men's 56 kg Men's 60 kg Men's 67.5 kg Men's 75 kg Men's 82.5 kg Men's 90 kg Men's 100 kg Men's +100 kg

Women's 40 kg Women's 44 kg Women's 48 kg Women's 52 kg Women's 56 kg Women's 60 kg Women's 67.5 kg Women's 75 kg Women's 82.5 kg Women's +82.5 kg

2013–2023

There are twenty powerlifting events, corresponding to ten weight classes each for men and women. The weight categories were significantly adjusted after the 2012 Games so most of the weights are new for 2016.

Powerlifting at the 2016 Summer Paralympics - Weight Divisions
Men		Women
49 kg	80 kg	41 kg	67 kg
54 kg	88 kg	45 kg	73 kg
59 kg	97 kg	50 kg	79 kg
65 kg	107 kg	55 kg	86 kg
72 kg	+107 kg	61 kg	+86 kg

Events

Events: ^{[5] [6] [7] [8] [9]}

Global

• Powerlifting at the Summer Paralympics since 1984
• World Para Powerlifting Championships since 1994
• World Para Powerlifting World Cup (WPPO World Cup) since 2015
• Fazaa International Powerlifting Competition since 2009 (2013 not held)

Regional

2013, 2015, 2018. (IPC Powerlifting Open ... Championships)

• World Para Powerlifting European Open Championships since 2013
• World Para Powerlifting Asian Open Championships since 2013 (Asia-Oceania)
• World Para Powerlifting Americas Open Championships since 2015 (Pan American)
• World Para Powerlifting African Open Championships since 2015

Edition	Year	Host	Events	Athletes
1	2013 Asian	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	20
2	2013 European	Aleksin, Russia	20
3	2015 Americas	Mexico City, Mexico	20
4	2015 Asian	Almaty, Kazakhstan	20
5	2015 European	Eger, Hungary	20
6	2015 African	Brazzaville, Congo	20
7	2018 European	Berck, France	20
8	2018 African	Algiers, Algeria	20
9	2018 Asian	Kitakyushu, Japan	20
10	2018 Americas	Bogotá, Colombis	20

World Cup

Main articles: World Para Powerlifting World Cup , Para Powerlifting World Cup , and IPC Powerlifting World Cup

up to 2016: IPC Powerlifting World Cup

• 2011 Mexican Powerlifting Competition
• 2011 Polish Cup Powerlifting-Bydgoszcz
• 2011 International Powerlifting Competition in Amman
• 2011 3rd Powerlifting Khorfakkan International Competition
• 2011 8th China National Games for the Disable
• 2011 International Powerlifting Competition in Hungary
• IWAS World Games 2011, 2021
• 2011 Malaysia Open Powerlifting Championships
• 2013 Open Misr Cup Powerlifting Championships
• Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games

Edition	Year	Host	Events	Athletes
-	2009 (1st FAZZA)	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	20
-	2010 (2nd FAZZA)	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	20
-	2011 (3rd FAZZA)	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	20
-	2012 (4th FAZZA)	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	20
-	2014 (5th FAZZA)	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	20
1	2015 (6th FAZZA)	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	20
2	2016	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	20
3	2016 (7th FAZZA)	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	20
4	2016	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	20
5	2017	Eger, Hugary	20
6	2017 (8th FAZZA)	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	20
7	2018 (9th FAZZA)	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	20
8	2019 (10th FAZZA)	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	20
9	2019	Eger, Hungary	20
10	2019	Lima, Peru	20
11	2019	Tokyo, Japan	20
12	2020	Abuja, Nigeria	20
13	2020	Manchester, United Kingdom	20
14	2021	Bogotá, Colombia	20
15	2021	Manchester, United Kingdom	20
16	2021	Bangkok, Thailand	20
17	2021	Tbilisi, Georgia	20
18	2021 (11th FAZZA)	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	20

World records

World records in Paralympic powerlifting are ratified by the International Paralympic Committee.

Elite

Men

Category	Record	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Meet	Place	Ref
–49 kg	183.5 kg	Lê Văn Công	Vietnam	4 December 2017	World Championships	Mexico City, Mexico	[10]
–54 kg	205 kg	Sherif Othman	Egypt	6 April 2014	World Championships	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	[11]
–59 kg	211 kg	Sherif Othman	Egypt	9 September 2016	Paralympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	[12]
–65 kg	222 kg	Zou Yi	China	24 October 2023	Asian Para Games	Hangzhou, China	[13]
–72 kg	232 kg	Bonnie Bunyau Gustin	Malaysia	6 September 2024	Paralympic Games	Paris, France	[14]
–80 kg	242 kg	Rouhollah Rostami	Iran	6 September 2024	Paralympic Games	Paris, France	[15]
–88 kg	251 kg	Abdelkareem Khattab	Jordan	29 August 2023	World Championships	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	[16]
–97 kg	260 kg	Abdelkareem Khattab	Jordan	7 September 2024	Paralympic Games	Paris, France	[17]
–107 kg	255 kg	Aliakbar Gharibshahi	Iran	16 October 2025	World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
+107 kg	310 kg	Siamand Rahman	Iran	14 September 2016	Paralympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	[18]

Women

Category	Record	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Meet	Place	Ref
–41 kg	123 kg	Guo Lingling	China	23 October 2023	Asian Para Games	Hangzhou, China	[13]
–45 kg	125 kg	Guo Lingling	China	14 October 2025	World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
–50 kg	131 kg	Esther Oyema	Nigeria	10 April 2018	Commonwealth Games	Gold Coast, Australia	[19]
–55 kg	135 kg	Rehab Ahmed	Egypt	22 June 2024	World Cup	Tbilisi, Georgia	[20]
–61 kg	150 kg	Onyinyechi Mark	Nigeria	6 September 2024	Paralympic Games	Paris, France	[21]
–67 kg	147 kg	Cui Jianjin	China	15 October 2025	World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
–73 kg	151 kg	Kafila Almaruf	Nigeria	26 August 2023	World Championships	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	[16]
–79 kg	154 kg	Han Miaoyu	China	7 September 2024	Paralympic Games	Paris, France	[22]
–86 kg	159 kg	Zheng Feifei	China	25 June 2024	World Cup	Tbilisi, Georgia	[20]
+86 kg	167 kg	Folashade Oluwafemiayo	Nigeria	8 September 2024	Paralympic Games	Paris, France	[23]

Next Gen

Men

Category	Record	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Meet	Place	Ref
–49 kg	161 kg	Muslim Al-Sudani	Iraq	27 October 2022	African Open Championships	Cairo, Egypt	[24]
–54 kg	152 kg	Gergő Szebenyi	HUN	9 October 2025	Rookie and NextGen World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
–59 kg	188 kg	Qi Yongkai	China	9 September 2018	Asia-Oceania Open Championships	Kitakyushu, Japan	[25]
–65 kg	204 kg	Bonnie Bunyau Gustin	Malaysia	9 October 2018	Asian Para Games	Jakarta, Indonesia	[26]
–72 kg	179 kg	Donato Telesca	Italy	26 April 2019	World Cup	Eger, Hungary	[27]
–80 kg	170 kg	Islam Mohamed	Egypt	28 October 2022	African Open Championships	Cairo, Egypt	[24]
–88 kg	172 kg	Many Saeedi	Iran	10 October 2025	Rookie and NextGen World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
–97 kg	195 kg	Reza Enayatollahi	Iran	10 October 2025	Rookie and NextGen World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
–107 kg	190 kg	Jasurbek Yuldoshov	Uzbekistan	10 October 2025	Rookie and NextGen World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
+107 kg	184 kg	JaQue Billingsley	United States	6 August 2014	IWAS World Junior Games	Aylesbury, United Kingdom

Women

Category	Record	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Meet	Place	Ref
–41 kg	114 kg	Esther Nworgu	Nigeria	28 October 2022	African Open Championships	Cairo, Egypt	[24]
–45 kg	100 kg	Loveth Abokin	Nigeria	5 February 2020	World Cup	Abuja, Nigeria	[28]
–50 kg	108 kg	Olivia Broome	Great Britain	27 November 2021	World Junior Championships	Tbilisi, Georgia	[29]
–55 kg	127 kg	Onyinyechi Mark	Nigeria	5 February 2020	World Cup	Abuja, Nigeria	[28]
–61 kg	116 kg	Fatma Korany	Egypt	5 February 2020	World Cup	Abuja, Nigeria	[28]
–67 kg	119 kg	Rukhshona Uktamova	Uzbekistan	10 October 2025	Rookie and NextGen World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
–73 kg	110 kg	Gulyuz Nematullaeva	Uzbekistan	10 October 2025	Rookie and NextGen World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
–79 kg	108 kg	Marion Serrano	Chile	17 July 2019	World Championships	Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan	[30]
–86 kg	102 kg	Alina Kumeyko	Ukraine	2 December 2017	World Championships	Mexico City, Mexico
+86 kg	100 kg	Elsa Dewi Saputri	Indonesia	7 December 2023	World Cup	Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand

Rookie

Men

Category	Record	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Meet	Place	Ref
–49 kg	115 kg	Rafayel Hamazaspyan	Armenia	9 October 2025	Rookie and NextGen World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
–54 kg	120 kg	Standard
–59 kg	126 kg	Standard
–65 kg	128 kg	Standard
–72 kg	167 kg	Muhammad Akmal Danish Mohamad Supi	Malaysia	10 October 2025	Rookie and NextGen World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
–80 kg	157 kg	Elbek Farkhodov	Uzbekistan	10 October 2025	Rookie and NextGen World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
–88 kg	158 kg	Azizbek Perdebaev	Uzbekistan	10 October 2025	Rookie and NextGen World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
–97 kg	153 kg	Standard
–107 kg	159 kg	Standard
+107 kg	171 kg	Amirali Eshaghnia Ani	Iran	10 October 2025	Rookie and NextGen World Championships	Cairo, Egypt

Women

Category	Record	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Meet	Place	Ref
–41 kg	74 kg	Snezhanna Boiko	Kazakhstan	9 October 2025	Rookie and NextGen World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
–45 kg	90 kg	Amalia González	Cuba	9 October 2025	Rookie and NextGen World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
–50 kg	78 kg	Standard
–55 kg	102 kg	Rukhshona Uktamova	Uzbekistan	5 March 2024	World Cup	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	[31]
–61 kg	114 kg	Rukhshona Uktamova	Uzbekistan	6 September 2024	Paralympic Games	Paris, France	[21]
–67 kg	86 kg	Standard
–73 kg		Standard
–79 kg	92 kg	Standard
–86 kg		Standard
+86 kg	102 kg	Standard

Legend

Men

Category	Record	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Meet	Place	Ref
–49 kg	167 kg	Zheng Yu	China	23 August 2023	World Championships	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	[16]
–54 kg	183 kg	Roland Ezuruike	Nigeria	14 October 2025	World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
–59 kg	184 kg	Juan Garrido	Chile	12 October 2025	World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
–65 kg	168 kg	Standard
–72 kg	194 kg	Shaaban Ibrahim	Egypt	24 August 2023	World Championships	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	[16]
–80 kg	204 kg	Standard
–88 kg	225 kg	Mohamed Elelfat	Egypt	23 June 2024	World Cup	Tbilisi, Georgia	[20]
–97 kg	230 kg	Fabio Torres	Colombia	10 July 2022	Parapan American Open Championships	St. Louis, United States	[32]
–107 kg	237 kg	Bobby Body	United States	16 October 2025	World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
+107 kg	249 kg	Konstantin Matsnev	NPA	17 October 2025	World Championships	Cairo, Egypt

Women

Category	Record	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Meet	Place	Ref
–41 kg	92 kg	Standard
–45 kg	108 kg	Nazmiye Muslu Muratlı	Turkey	4 September 2024	Paralympic Games	Paris, France
–50 kg	112 kg	Nazmiye Muslu Muratlı	Turkey	21 June 2024	World Cup	Tbilisi, Georgia	[20]
–55 kg	120 kg	Tamara Podpalnaya	NPA	12 October 2025	World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
–61 kg	132 kg	Amalia Pérez	Mexico	8 July 2022	Parapan American Open Championships	St. Louis, United States	[32]
–67 kg	132 kg	Amalia Pérez	Mexico	23 June 2024	World Cup	Tbilisi, Georgia	[20]
–73 kg	133 kg	Lucy Ejike	Nigeria	13 October 2025	World Championships	Cairo, Egypt
–79 kg	121 kg	Amal Mahmoud Osman	Egypt	23 March 2024	World Cup	Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
–86 kg	134 kg	Tharwh Al-Hajaj	Jordan	17 December 2022	World Cup	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	[33]
+86 kg	142 kg	Nadia Ali	Egypt	29 October 2022	African Open Championships	Cairo, Egypt	[24]

See also

• List of Olympic records in weightlifting
• List of world records in Olympic weightlifting
• List of junior world records in Olympic weightlifting
• List of youth world records in Olympic weightlifting
• Progression of the bench press world record
• NFL Scouting Combine Bench press records
• Squat world records
• World record progression women's weightlifting
• World record progression women's weightlifting (1998–2018)
• World record progression men's weightlifting
• World record progression men's weightlifting (1998–2018)

References

1. "About the sport". IPC. 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
2. "Para Powerlifting - Sport Technical Rules 2023 - Official Rules and Qualifying Standards" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 August 2023.
3. "Pyeongtaek 2022: Paralympic and world champions return for more glory".
4. "Para Powerlifting - Sport Technical Rules 2023 - Official Rules and Qualifying Standards" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 August 2023.
5. "Paralympic Events - Search for Para Sport Competitions".
6. "Para Powerlifting Results (Formerly IPC Powerlifting)".
7. "Para Powerlifting (Formerly IPC Powerlifting) News & Events".
8. "Para Powerlifting Schedule of Events & Competitions".
9. "World Para Powerlifting Qualification Pathway 2017-2020: Appendix 1 (January 2018)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 June 2019.
10. "Powerlifting – Men's up to 49kg – Results" (PDF). IPC. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
11. "2014 IPC Powerlifting World Championships – Official Results Book" (PDF). IPC. 11 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
12. "Powerlifting – Men's -59 kg – Final Results" (PDF). IPC. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
13. "The 4th Asian Para Games – Powerlifting – Results Book" (PDF). IPC . Retrieved 3 September 2024.
14. "Para Powerlifting – Men's up to 72kg – Final Results" (PDF). paralympic.com. COJOP. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
15. "Para Powerlifting – Men's up to 80kg – Final Results" (PDF). paralympic.com. COJOP. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
16. "2023 Elite & Legends World Championships – Official Results Book" (PDF). IPC . Retrieved 2 October 2023.
17. "Para Powerlifting – Men's up to 97kg – Final Results" (PDF). paralympic.com. COJOP. 7 September 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
18. "Powerlifting – Men's +107 kg – Final Results" (PDF). IPC. 14 September 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
19. "Powerlifting – Women's Lightweight – Final Results" (PDF). Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation. 10 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.^{[ dead link ]}
20. "Tbilisi 2024 ParaPowerlifting World Cup – Official Results Book" (PDF). IPC . Retrieved 3 September 2024.
21. "Para Powerlifting – Women's up to 61kg – Final Results" (PDF). paralympic.com. COJOP. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
22. "Para Powerlifting – Women's up to 79kg – Final Results" (PDF). paralympic.com. COJOP. 7 September 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
23. "Para Powerlifting – Women's over 86kg – Final Results" (PDF). paralympic.com. COJOP. 8 September 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
24. "African Open Championships – Cairo (EGY) – Official Results Book" (PDF). IPC . Retrieved 26 December 2022.
25. "Powerlifting – Men's up to 59 kg – Results" (PDF). IPC. 9 September 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
26. "Para Powerlifting – Men's up to 65.00 kg – Results". gms.asianparagames2018.id. Archived from the original on 24 November 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
27. "2019 Eger World Para Powerlifting World Cup – Official Results Book" (PDF). IPC . Retrieved 7 May 2019.
28. "2020 Abuja WPPO World Cup – Official results book" (PDF). IPC . Retrieved 13 March 2020.
29. "Tbilisi 2021 World Junior Championships – Official Results Book" (PDF). IPC . Retrieved 10 May 2022.
30. "World Para Powerlifting Championships 2019 – Women's up to 79 kg – Results" (PDF). IPC. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
31. "13th Fazza 2024 Para Powerlifting World Cup – Official Results Book" (PDF). IPC . Retrieved 3 September 2024.
32. "Parapan American Open Championships – St. Louis (USA) – Official Results Book" (PDF). IPC . Retrieved 26 December 2022.
33. "Fazza 12th Para Powerlifting World Cup – Dubai (UAE) – Official Results Book" (PDF). IPC . Retrieved 26 December 2022.

External links

• World Para Powerlifting
• World Records
• Weightlifting Platform Archived 18 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine
• "World Para Powerlifting - Paralympic Athletes, News & Events". www.paralympic.org. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
• "World Para Powerlifting - Paralympic Athletes, News & Events". www.paralympic.org. Retrieved 20 March 2025./results
• "World Para Powerlifting - Paralympic Athletes, News & Events". www.paralympic.org. Retrieved 20 March 2025./live-results