Men's -88 kg - IPC Powerlifting World Championships
Jordanian world record holder Mutaz Zakria Aljuneidi and Nigerian Ijeoma Iherobiem beat two reigning Paralympic champions to claim world titles on Wednesday (9 April) at the 2014 IPC Powerlifting World Championships in Dubai, UAE.
Aljuneidi (229kg) won the men’s -88kg in an exciting climax to the first event of the day, beating Egypt’s London 2012 gold medallist Hany Abdelhady, who could only manage fourth. Abdelhady’s weight selections demonstrated his lack of confidence and he never featured in the medal positions.
Meanwhile, Aljuneidi took the lead with a first round lift of 225kg, 7kg more than the UAE’s Mohammed Khamis Khalaf, who eventually finished fifth.
Despite not completing a second round lift, the 38-year-old Asian Open bronze medallist went on to produce a 229kg third round lift to secure gold – Jordan’s first of the Championships - and improve his own world record set in January by 3kg.
The battle for the remaining podium positions went down to the wire with Iran’s Seyedhamed Solhipourounji and Mexico’s Jose de Jesus Castillo both tied on 220kg going into the final round. With the tension mounting, Solhipourounji managed 225kg to secure silver, whilst Castillo, who failed with his attempt at the same weight, was delighted with a bronze medal and new Americas record.
The 2014 IPC Powerlifting World Championships, featuring over 330 athletes from nearly 60 countries, run from 5-11 April and are the first opportunity for athletes to begin qualification for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
The competition also features the climax to the "Raise the Bar campaign," which has seen powerlifters and team officials take part in education seminars as part of efforts to reduce doping in the sport.
More information, including a full competition schedule and live results can be found at the Dubai 2014 website: http://www.paralympic.org/dubai-2014
Athletes:
AUS Benjamin Wright
AZE Gunduz Ismayilov
BRA Rodrigo Marques
BRA Evanio Da Silva
BRN Hamad Alashar
CHI Cristian Aguirre
CHN Huichao Cai
EGY Hany Abdelhady
FIN Janne Piipponen
FRA Rafik Arabat
GER Mario Hochberg
GRE Vasileios Terzitianos
INA Anto Boy Anto Boy
IRI Seyedhamed Solhipourounji
IRL Reggie Byrne
IRL Christopher O'Connor
JOR Mutaz Zakaria Daoud Aljuneidi
JPN Hideki Odo
JPN Nobuhiro Saito
KAZ Janet Zhakiyen
MAS Nurul Azhar Norrin
MEX Jose de Jesus Castillo Castillo
MGL Sodnompiljee Enkhbayar
NED Patrique Dankers
NED Toninho Norden
NGR Opeyemi Jegede
POL Piotr Szymeczek
SVK Ladislav Lechan
TKM Bayram Saparov
TUR Mehmet Dogan
UAE Rashed Hassan Ahmed
UKR Yurii Kupriianov
USA Jacob Schrom
USA Ahmed Shafik