Biggest men’s powerlifting pushes of 2013

With just one week to go until the biggest IPC Powerlifting World Championships in history, the first of a two part guide featuring the biggest male and female lifts of 2013 include some faces to watch from 5-11 April. 29 Mar 2014
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Iran's Mansour Pourmirzaei

Iran's Mansour Pourmirzaei

By Luke Jackson | For the IPC

Rostami lifted nearly four times his own body weight as he hefted 220kg to add 10kg on to the previous world record to claim a gold medal in the men's -72kg category.

All 20 of the current world record holders will be competing at the 2013 IPC Powerlifting World Championships in Dubai, UAE, from 5 April.

They are part of a total of 365 lifters from 68 countries, the largest number of athletes ever at an IPC Powerlifting World Championships, and all at the start of the qualifying period for Rio 2016.

Whether it is Mansour Pourmirzaei edging closer to the 300kg mark for Iran or Turkey’s Nazmiye Muslu lifting over twice her body weight, the biggest pushes of 2013 could give a clue as to who will be the biggest lifters of 2014.

Roohallah Rostami, Iran

At the 2013 IPC Powerlifting Asian Open Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Rostami lifted nearly four times his own body weight as he hefted 220kg to add 10kg on to the previous world record to claim a gold medal in the men's -72kg category.

Xiao Fei Gu, China

The Chinese powerlifter, who won gold at the London 2012 Paralympic Games in the men's -80kg weight class, smashed the world record at last year's Asian Open Championships to win gold at the same venue where he had only managed to secure a bronze at the 2010 IPC Powerlifting World Championships.

Mohamed Eldib, Egypt

The Egyptian powerlifter was another success story from London 2012 as that was where he topped the podium in the men's -100kg category. However, more was to come from Eldib in 2013 as he heaved 240kg in Dubai at the 5th Fazza International Powerlifting Championships to finish first at the annual competition.

Ali Jawad, Great Britain

The 24 year old banished the personal memories of a torrid 2012 by securing a gold medal in Kuala Lumpur last year. He achieved this by lifting 185.5 kg in the men’s -59kg weight category to break the world record and establish himself as a serious contender for the World Championships in Dubai.

Mansour Pourmirzaei, Iran

After smashing the world record by a remarkable 36kg in the men's +107kg category at the Titiwangsa Stadium in Kuala Lumpur with a lift of 276kg, the Iranian was deservedly voted as the IPC's Athlete of the Month for December 2013 as he executed one of the year's most extravagant lifts.

The 2013 IPC Powerlifting World Championships begin on 5 April and run for six days until 11 April.

The competition will be livestreamed on Paralympic.org.

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