One year on: Top five powerlifting moments

From Turkey’s only gold of the Games to a victory dedicated to family, the ExCel arena was alive with the feats of the strongest Paralympians in history. 09 Sep 2013

A picture of a woman on a podium with a medal around her neck

Nazmiye Muslu of Turkey celebrates on the winners podium after setting a new world record and clinching gold in the Women's 40kg Powerlifting at the Paralympic Games in London

Ⓒgetty images

By Luke Jackson

Nazmiye Muslu smashed her own world record in the -40kg powerlifting category to win her country’s only gold medal at the competition.

Turkish heroine

Despite sending a record number of athletes to the London 2012 Paralympic Games, the Turkish athletics team failed to meet expectations after they amassed a disappointing medal tally consisting of only ten medals. However, Nazmiye Muslu smashed her own world record in the -40kg powerlifting category to win her country’s only gold medal at the competition. As a result, she rightfully returned home a hero and helped retain some national pride for her tremendous efforts.

China’s first medal

China’s first powerlifting gold medal of the games arrived courtesy of pre-tournament favourite and crowd pleaser, Feng Qi. In a closely contested men’s -52kg category, Feng fought off his nearest rivals, Ikechukwu Obichukwu of Nigeria and Russia’s Vladimir Krivulya, to claim first place with a lift of 176kg in a nerve wracking final round. He charmed the crowd at the ExCel arena with his positive attitude and he closed out the event with a fitting dedication to his father who was recovering from heart surgery.

Nigerian grit

One of the most successful teams at the London Paralympics was Nigeria, who topped the medal charts for powerlifting by winning a remarkable 12 medals as well as breaking two world records on the way. This was an amazing achievement for a country that has been heavily impacted by polio in the past and with athletes such as Ivory Nwokorie and Yakubu Adesokan managing to triumph in spectacular fashion at the Games without sufficient funding, this was one of the most touching moments to come out of the competition.

Home grown talent

Team GB’s only powerlifting medal arrived thanks to the impressive performance of Paralympic debutant, Zoe Newson. The 20 year old claimed a bronze medal with a lift of 88kg which was undoubtedly achieved due to the fantastic home support that roared her on whenever she took to the lifting area.

Iranian’s debut

Siamand Rahman single handily destroyed the field in the +100kg category in London as he stormed to powerlifting gold. So much was his dominance, the Iranian even attempted to break the 300kg barrier, a courageous feat that he did not quite achieve. Nonetheless, Rahman’s Paralympic debut will never be forgotten.