Cairo 2025: ‘Unstoppable’ Guo Lingling raises the bar with new world record

It was all about China’s Guo Lingling and her remarkable tradition of breaking world records in major events – her seventh consecutive - on the fourth day of the Elite competitions at the Cairo 2025 World Para Powerlifting Championships on Tuesday (14 October).

Lingling, the two-time Paralympic champion, claimed her fifth world championships title in her usual way – bettering her own world record of 124 kg by one kilogram on her way to winning the women’s up to 45 kg crown at the New Capital Sports City Hall. 

This was also the first world record of the World Championships, held for the first time in Africa. 

The 36-year-old strong Chinese had three clear lifts 120, 123 and 125 kg, with the final lift smashing her own world record set in Beijing 2025 World Cup in June. In fact, her second lift was already an indication what’s on the cards. 

Newcomer Tolulope Ogundolie of Nigeria settled for second place after putting up an remarkable show on her debut. She had all three successful lifts at 108, 110 and 112 kg, Uzbekistan's Nasiba Tashpulatova, the bronze medallist at Bejing 2025 World Cup, picked up her first worlds medal. 

“I feel very honoured and happy that I broke the world record once again. I managed to improve my results and go up another level. The most important thing is training and keep competing – which helps me to get accustomed to challenging situations,” said Lingling, who also had two Asian Para Games titles including the gold in Hangzhou 2022 where she set the women’s up to 41 kg world record at 123 kg.  

🏆 Zhe Cui 🇨🇳 claims her fifth consecutive world title, lifting 117kg on her third attempt to win the women’s up to 41kg! 💪

🥈 Kerly Lascano 🇪🇨 and 🥉 Lara Aparecida De Lima 🇧🇷complete the podium.

📸 @Hiroki_Nishioka / WPPO#Cairo2025 #ParaPowerlifting pic.twitter.com/5yDW9Iv4tl

— Para Powerlifting (@Powerlifting) October 14, 2025

Zhe clinches her fifth

Lingling's incredible show was followed by a clinical performance by another Chinese star Cui Zhe, who also had three successful lifts to clinch the women’s up to 41kg gold. 

Zhe, who already had four gold medals at the world championships, looked comfortable on the bar as she calmly raised it from 110 kg to 117 kg – two kilograms less than what she lifted at Paris 2024 for a new Paralympic record.

"This is my fifth World Championships title and I'm very excited this time. Because the competition level has improved a lot and I made sure that I have not fallen behind. I want to compete in more world championships and get a good result at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics," said the 38-year-old Zhe, who also has four Asian Para Games gold.   

Ecuador’s Kerly Lascano, who earlier won the Next Gen world title in Cairo, was impressive on the bar too as she clinched her first senior World Championship medal with 110 kg.  

“I’m very excited. I was fighting for the podium – but more than that I am still in shock that I have beaten one of my rivals,” said the 20-year-old already setting her sights on a medal at LA 2028. 

Paris 2024 bronze medallist Lara Aparecida De Lima managed the bronze with 107 kg. 

🇰🇿 David Degtyarev wins his 3rd straight world title! 🏆

He dominates the men’s up to 54kg with a 191kg lift, breaking the Asian record 💥

🥈 Herbert Aceituno 🇸🇻
🥉 Jinglang Yang 🇨🇳

📸 @Hiroki_Nishioka / WPPO#Cairo2025 #ParaPowerlifting pic.twitter.com/WE2AsVd98k

— Para Powerlifting (@Powerlifting) October 14, 2025

Three in a row for Degtyarev

Kazakhstan’s Paris 2024 champion David Degtyarev extended his dominance in the men’s up to 54 kg event winning his third World Championship title in style. He smashed his own Asian record – set at Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games at 186 kg – three times to settle at 191 kg in his final lift. 

El Salvador’s Herbert Aceituno, the Tbilisi 2021 and Dubai 2023 silver medallist in men’s up to 59 kg, was amazing on his first campaign in the new category.

He put up a strong fight starting one kilogram behind Degtyarev at 186 kg and stayed on the heels of the Kazakh throughout. The two-time Parapan American Games champion finally ended on 190 kg for the silver, again.

Paris 2024 bronze meadllist Yang Jinglang also finished with a strong final lift of 186 kg. 

“Today I competed against great rivals – a new rival from El Salvador has contested in my category. He is a great guy. It was an interesting battle, very close one and I enjoyed it. I’m very happy – Thank you to my coach, my friends and my wife who had supported me always. This is a victory for entire Kazakhstan,” said the 29-year-old Aceituno. 

Live results from all the Cairo 2025 action are available on the World Para Powerlifting website. All categories will also be live streamed via the Paralympic Games YouTube channel.

The Elite competition continues until 18 October with three events lined up for Wednesday (15 October) with athletes competing in women’s up to 61 kg, men’s up to 49 kg and women’s up to 67 kg weight categories. 

The medallists

Men’s Up to 54kg

Gold: David Degtyarev (KAZ) 
Silver: Herbert Aceituno (ESA)
Bronze: Yang Jinglang (CHN) 

Women’s Up to 45 kg 

Gold: Guo Lingling (CHN)
Silver: Tolulope Ogundolie (NGR) 
Bronze: Nasiba Tashpulatova (UZB)

Women’s Up to 41kg

Gold: Cui Zhe (CHN)
Silver: Kerly Lascano (ECU)
Bronze: Lara Aparecida De Lima (BRA)