“Although the crowd was very loud for me, in this competition I made sure I only heard the judges and my coach so I could concentrate.”

Three more world records were broken on Friday (24 May) by the Russian delegation at the 2013 IPC Powerlifting Open European Championships, which they are hosting in Aleksin.

Ayrat Zakiev (men’s -65kg category), Sergei Sychev (men’s -72kg) and Tamara Podpalnaya (women’ s -55kg) all set new world-best lifts in their respective weight divisions to help keep Russia on top of the medals table at the Championships, as they country has won eight of the 11 golds available thus far.

The Championships include IPC Powerlifting’s new weight categories, which took effect on 1 January, changing the structure of weight classes and meaning several world and European records will be set in 2013.

This followed an extensive review of all bodyweight category trends across major competitions.

Four-time Paralympian Podpalnaya set one of those records on the third day of the Championships, raising 115kg in the women’s -55kg category in front of an animated Russian crowd.

“It was very difficult, but fortunately I won and got the record so I’m very happy,” Podpalnaya said.

“Although the crowd was very loud for me, in this competition I made sure I only heard the judges and my coach so I could concentrate.”

Podpalnaya is a veteran who won Paralympic gold at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, and picked up silvers at Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

She said that another Games are definitely in store, with her road to Rio having now begun in Aleksin.

Great Britain’s Natalie Blake finished second to Podpalnaya with a lift of 93kg and Italy’s Martina Barbierato celebrated her 19th birthday by grabbing the bronze with a lift of 98kg.

Russia’s Seregei Sychev broke the world record in the men’s -72kg, lifting 200kg, as Greece’s Nikolaos Gkouuntanis took second with a lift of 181kg and another Russian, Kirill Flegentov, came third with a lift of 175kg.

Ayrat Zakiev, a Paralympic silver medallist and veterinarian when not on the bench, proved just as unbeatable, easily winning the men’s -65kg competition with a world-record lift of 190.

Turkey’s Izzettin Kanat took second with a lift of 180kg and Poland’s Grzegorz Lanzer claimed bronze with a lift of 172kg.

In a heated battle in the men’s -80kg event, Greek Paralympian Gkremislav Moysiadis smashed the European record, recording a successful attempt of 185kg en route to gold.

Poland’s Wawrzyniec Latus finished in second with a lift of 180kg and Russia’s Karen Abramyants rounded out the podium in third with a lift of 175kg.

Kheda Berieva of Russia was also able to cruise to gold in the women’s -61kg event with a lift of 100kg.

Iraq’s Dhikra Saleem took silver in the Open category with a lift of 90kg and Turkey’s Dilfiroz Atilgan settled for bronze with a lift of 85kg. Atilgan finished in second position in the European category, though, allowing Polish athlete Magdalena Konior’s lift of 80kg to be good enough for bronze.

For more information on the 2013 IPC Powerlifting Open European Championships, please visit the event website at www.Paralympic.org/Events/Alexin2013.

All action from the event is being streamed live on the IPC’s YouTube channel, www.YouTube.com/ParalympicSportTV.

You can also follow the action on Twitter at @IPCPowerlifting and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/IPCPowerlifting.

“The next 10 months, starting with this event in Aleksin and climaxing with next March’s Paralympic Winter Games, are extremely important for the growth of the Paralympic Movement in Russia."

The 2013 IPC Powerlifting Open European Championships are being held in Aleksin, Russia less than a year after the London 2012 Games and under a year prior to the nation hosting the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.

Therefore, IPC Chief Executive Officer Xavier Gonzalez stressed the importance of the event as a small stepping stone to help build the Paralympic Movement within Russia in the lead-up to both next year’s Winter Games as well and Rio 2016.

“The next 10 months, starting with this event in Aleksin and climaxing with next March’s Paralympic Winter Games, are extremely important for the growth of the Paralympic Movement in Russia,” Gonzalez said.

“This country must build on the momentum generated last year when it finished second in the London 2012 medals table.”

“The performances of athletes in Aleksin and in Sochi have the ability to change perceptions and attitudes of people with an impairment. This, combined with the Russian government’s work to create barrier-free environments and get more people with an impairment active and into sport, can help change Russian society forever.”

Russian powerlifter Oleysa Lafina, who set a new world record en route to winning gold in the women’s -50kg on Thursday (23 May), echoed those sentiments following her victory.

“It’s been a great competition thus far,” Lafina said. “These Championships will be a small window to show Russia what IPC Powerlifting is all about as well as to expose them to the rest of the para-sport world in this part of the country.”

The 2013 IPC Powerlifting Open European Championships run from 22-26 May, and the entire competition is being streamed live online.

IPC Powerlifting also hopes to raise awareness for the sport in Asia later this year when Gwangju, Korea hosts the IPC Powerlifting Asian Championships from 9-13 July and Kuala Lumpur hosts the Malaysia Open Powerlifting Championships from 3-7 November.

“My performance today of 170kg was nice for the European Championships, but I’ll try to get even better because I know it’s not my maximum.”

Olesya Lafina’s world record in the women’s -50kg – along with Ildar Bedderdinov’s world record in the men’s –59kg event and Vladimir Krivulya’s European record in the men’s -54kg event – highlighted the host nation’s success at the IPC Powerlifting Open European Championships on Thursday (23 May) in Aleksin, Russia.

Lafina starred on the second day of the Championships for Russia with a world-record lift of 114kg. Her teammate Anastasia Khonina, who is just 19, took silver with a lift of 97kg and Spain’s Loida Zabala Ollero claimed bronze with a lift of 96kg.

Having won silver medals in the old -48kg category at both the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Paralympic Games, Lafina is already a force to be reckoned with in the women’s -50kg class and now has made an even bigger name for herself internationally in Aleksin.

“The competition was great and it was difficult so I really had to do my best,” Lafina said. “I didn’t want to think about anything except the competition beforehand, and I listened to some hard rock music to warm up and get myself ready, which worked.”

Bedderdinov, meanwhile, raised the bar with 175kg to break the world record in the men’s -59kg event, continuing Russia’s roll at the Championships.

The 29-year-old outclassed a tough weight category, which included Poland’s Mariusz Tomczyk, who took silver with a successful 165kg lift. Iraq’s Hussein Juboori grabbed bronze in the Open competition with a lift of 157kg, while Finland’s Juhani Kokko claimed bronze in the European division with a lift of 140kg.

In a stacked field in the new men’s -54kg category in Aleksin, it was Russia’s Paralympic bronze medallist Vladimir Krivulya who found his way to the top of the podium with a European-record lift of 170kg.

“It’s always amazing, when you’re breaking records,” Krivulya said.

“My performance today of 170kg was nice for the European Championships, but I’ll try to get even better because I know it’s not my maximum.”

Krivulya hinted at eventually breaking the world-record mark of 181kg set by Egypt’s Sherief Othman at February’s Fazza International Powerlifting Championships.

The Russian European champion, meanwhile, received stiff competition in Aleksin from Greece’s Dimitrios Bakochristos and Great Britain’s Ali Jawad, who finished second and third, respectively. Both lifted 163kg, but Bakochristos won the tiebreaker based on a lower bodyweight.

The Championships include IPC Powerlifting’s new weight categories, which took effect on 1 January, changing the structure of weight classes. This followed an extensive review of all bodyweight category trends across major competitions.

For more information on the 2013 IPC Powerlifting Open European Championships, please visit the event website at www.Paralympic.org/Events/Alexin2013.

All action from the event is being streamed live on the IPC’s YouTube channel, www.YouTube.com/ParalympicSportTV.

You can also follow the action on Twitter at @IPCPowerlifting and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/IPCPowerlifting.

“After that performance, I’m not afraid of any of the other powerlifters, but rather they should be afraid of me.”

The 2013 IPC Powerlifting Open European Championships took centre stage in Aleksin, Russia on Wednesday (22 May), with Turkey’s Nazmiye Muslu smashing a women’s -41kg world record and Russia’s Vladimir Balynetc setting a new European-best mark in the men’s -49kg category.

Muslu and Balynetc are just two of the nearly 140 athletes from 25 different countries competing at the event, which is the first IPC Powerlifting European Championships in six years.

IPC Chief Executive Officer Xavier Gonzalez spoke at the Opening Ceremony of the Championships on Wednesday, highlighting the importance of the event in building the future of IPC Powerlifting.

Gonzalez said: “Since London, IPC Powerlifting’s aim has been to build a structured and well-populated competition calendar so that the world’s best athletes can compete against each other on a regular basis.

“I’m delighted to say that this is the first European Championships since 2007, and our plan now is to stage this event every two years.”

Turkish Paralympic champion Muslu was the star of the competition’s first day, setting a new world-record lift of 100kg in the women’s -41 category on her second attempt.

With the lift, she actually broke the world-record mark of 90kg that she set earlier in the day on her first attempt.

“I certainly didn’t have any problems today and the result was very good for me,” Muslu said.

“After that performance, I’m not afraid of any of the other powerlifters, but rather they should be afraid of me.”

Muslu, recently named to IPC Powerlifting’s Ones to Watch list for this season, won gold last year at the London Paralympics in the -40kg category and is expected to be the one to beat in the new -41kg class on the road to Rio 2016.

Ukraine’s Maryna Kopiika secured the silver behind Muslu by lifting 78kg on her second of three attempts, while another Turkish athlete, Ebru Basar, won bronze with a lift of 76kg.

The men’s competition opened up with the -49kg weight category, in which Balynetc claimed gold with a European record-lift of 160kg.

The London 2012 silver medallist became an early fan favourite for the host nation in Aleksin, though he fell just short of breaking the world-record lift of 162kg, set by Egypt’s Abdelmagid Taha earlier this year when he attempted to raise 163kg on his final attempt.

Ukraine’s Anatolii Mykoliuk took silver in the event with a lift of143kg, and France’s Patrick Ardon lifted 142kg to finish with the bronze.

Poland’s Justyna Kozdryk, meanwhile, set a new European record to win gold in the women’s -45kg category with a lift of 93 kg.

Ukraine’s Rayisa Toporkova won silver in the event with a lift of 92kg and Russia’s Larisa Berieva claimed bronze with a lift of 79kg.

Competition will resume on Thursday (23 May) with the men’s -54kg and -59kg events, as well as the women’s -59kg category.

The Championships include IPC Powerlifting’s new weight categories, which took effect on 1 January, changing the structure of weight classes. This followed an extensive review of all bodyweight category trends across major competitions.

For more information on the 2013 IPC Powerlifting Open European Championships, please visit the event website at www.Paralympic.org/Events/Alexin2013.

All action from the event is being streamed live on the IPC’s YouTube channel, www.YouTube.com/ParalympicSportTV.

You can also follow the action on Twitter at @IPCPowerlifting and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/IPCPowerlifting.

Great Britain's Ali Jawad is determined to win a medal at the 2013 IPC Powerlifting European Championships in Alexin, Russia. © • Getty Images Russia's Vladimir Balynetc, left, poses with his silver medal next to Nigeria's gold medallist Yakubu Adesokan and Egypt's bronze medallist Taha Abdelmagid after the men' -48kg competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. © • Getty Images

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Great Britain’s Ali Jawad is bound to receive the media spotlight as he goes for gold in the men’s -59kg class, hoping to rebound from a Chrome’s relapse and a disappointing fourth-place finish at London 2012.

All action from the 2013 IPC Powerlifting Open European Championships will be streamed live on the IPC's YouTube channel.

Wednesday (22 May): The first event of the competition – the women’s -41kg class – will feature one of the world’s best powerlifters in Turkey’s Nazmiye Muslu. The veteran lifter won gold at London 2012 to add to an already impressive resume that includes top finishes at the 2010 World Championships and 2007 European Championships. She will receive tough competition in Aleksin from Russia’s own Yulia Vorontsova and Tatiana Zhavoronkova.

This event will be followed by the women’s -45kg competition and then the men’s -49kg event, which will pit Russian favourite Vladimir Balynetc – a silver medallist at London 2012 – against French medal hopeful Patrick Ardon.

Thursday (23 May): Great Britain’s Ali Jawad is bound to receive the media spotlight as he goes for gold in the men’s -59kg class, hoping to rebound from a Chrome’s relapse and a disappointing fourth-place finish at London 2012. Some of his biggest challengers in Aleksin could include Iraq’s Hussein Juboori and Russia’s Ildar Bedderdinov and Denis Maksimenko.

But prior to that, earlier in the day Russia’s Vladimir Krivulya will look to dominate the men’s -54kg class and his compatriot Olesya Lafina will hope to top the podium in the women’s -50kg.

Friday (24 May): Three Turkish lifters – Gamze Sayar, Dilfiroz Atilgan and Cihan Kubilay – will all take to the bar in the women’s -61kg class, hoping for a sweep of the podium. Russia’s Kheda Berieva, Poland’s Magdalena Konior and Iraq’s Dhikra Saleem would love to out-do them, though.

Martina Barbierato will aim to put on a show for Italy in the women’s -55kg class and Polish lifters Grzegorz Lanzer and Marek Trykacz could surprise in the men’s -65kg class.

Elsewhere, the men’s -80kg event will feature a stacked field that includes Spain’s Luis Miguel Pita Fraga, UAE’s Adel Shanbih and Finland’s Harri Kauppila. Also, Great Britain’s Daniel Steward and Greece’s Nikolaos Gkountanis will take part in the men’s -72kg competition.

Saturday (25 May): All eyes will be on the Netherlands’ Patrique Dankers and Greece’s Christos Gkiokas in the men’s -88kg event, as they lifted impressive highs of 179kg and 184kg earlier this year, respectively.

Twelve different countries will be represented in the men’s -97kg, including Georgia, Slovakia and Serbia, while French Paralympic champion Souhad Ghazouani will look to continue her winning ways in the women’s -73kg class.

Competition will also unfold in the women’s -67kg and -79kg classes.

Sunday (26 May): The final day of the Championships will feature a prime matchup between Greece’s Pavlos Mamalos and Iraq’s Faris Al-Ajeeli in the men’s -107kg class, as well as Azerbaijan’s top medal hopeful, Maharram Aliyev, in the men’s +107kg class.

Russia’s Tatiana Smirnova and Olga Kiseleva will look to win the women’s -86kg and +86kg classes, respectively.

Russia will have the largest delegation in Aleksin with 31 athletes, with Poland and Turkey each sending 13 and Iraq sending 10.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced on Thursday (16 May) that it will live stream next week’s 2013 IPC Powerlifting Open European Championships in Aleksin, Russia.

The Championships will run from 22-26 May, drawing 137 athletes from 27 countries and will be viewable to worldwide audiences live on the IPC’s YouTube channel.

A complete schedule of the events you can watch live from the Championships can be found here.

Jorge Moreno, IPC Powerlifting Sport Manager, said: “This is a great chance to showcase the strength of our sport post-London 2012 and let fans around the globe watch some of the best powerlifters in the world begin their journeys to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.”

Organised by the Russian Sport Federation for Physically Disabled Athletes, the event will include the new weight categories, which took effect on 1 January, changing the structure of weight classes. This follows an extensive review of all bodyweight category trends across major competitions.

The decision was made at the 2010 Sport Forum to alter the IPC Powerlifting Rules and Regulations after the London 2012 Paralympic Games. In November 2012, it was endorsed by National Paralympic Committees and then approved by the IPC Governing Board in January 2013.

Russia will have the largest delegation in Aleksin with 31 athletes, with Poland and Turkey each sending 13 and Iraq sending 10.

In the men’s competition, Paralympic silver medallist Vladimir Balynetc, known as “Ironman” by his Russian colleagues, will look to star for the host nation in the -49kg category.

Great Britain’s Ali Jawad will return to competition in the -59kg category for the first time since London 2012 after suffering another relapse of Crohn’s disease and hopes to make the podium, while Greece’s Pavlos Mamalos will receive stiff competition from Iraq’s Faris Al-Ajeeli in the -107kg category.

On the women’s side, reigning Paralympic champion Nazmiye Muslu of Turkey is expected to steal the show in the -41kg category. Russia’s Tamara Podpalnaya would love to impress her home country in the -55kg class and France’s top lifter Souhad Ghazouani will be one to keep tabs on in the -73kg class.

For more information on the IPC Powerlifting Open European Championships, please visit the event webpage.

You can also follow the action from the Championships on Twitter and on Facebook.

The Championships, which run from 22-26 May, will gather 137 athletes from 27 countries at the biggest powerlifting competition since the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

The Russian powerlifting delegation looks like it will be one of the countries to beat when it hosts the 2013 IPC Powerlifting Open European Championships next week in Aleksin.

The Championships, which run from 22-26 May, will gather 137 athletes from 27 countries at the biggest powerlifting competition since the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Thirty-one of those athletes will come from the host nation – including 16 men and 15 women – which won four powerlifting medals at London 2012.

The international competition will include new weight categories after the IPC Governing Board approved the change of the structure of weight classes in January.

This will allow more athletes with different types of impairments to compete.

Vladimir Balynetc, known as “Ironman” by his Russian colleagues, won silver at London 2012 in the -48kg category with a Paralympic record with a lift of 170kg and is expected to triumph in Aleksin. In Aleksin, Balynetc will compete in the new -49kg category.

Vladimir Krivulya, now competing in the -54kg category, is another Russian athlete recognised by his country as a master of sport at an international level after having won bronze in the -52kg category at London 2012 with a lift of 175kg.

Another Russian athlete that will be accompanied by the host nation cheers is Karen Abramyants, who won bronze in the men’s -82.5kg category in February’s Fazza International Powerlifting Competition in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Some other Russian favourites include Sergei Sychev, Ildar Bedderdinov and Ayrat Zakiev, all of whom were also in London last year.