Beijing 2025 review: Gustin brothers' medals steal show, world record for Lingling

The first-ever World Cup in China delivered numerous unforgettable moments over the last three days (22 -24 June) at the China Administration of Sports for Persons with Disabilities (CASPD). 

Big names including Paris 2024 champions retuned to competition since the Games in style while local stars led by reigning Paralympic champion Guo Lingling captivated the fans with world record show even as a pair of brothers lit up the event by shining together for the first time at a World Cup. 

Gustin brothers shine 

Beijing 2025 will surely remain a special event for the Gustin brothers as the Malaysia’s powerlifting icon Bonnie Bunyau and his brother Bryan Anak clinched medals together at a World Cup for the first time. 

Bonnie, the double Paralympic gold medallist, kicked off the season in style winning the men’s up to 72kg gold with a decent lift of 215kg in his third attempt. He then went on to inspire his brother Bryan to bronze medal in the men’s up to 88kg. Gustin’s effort was, however, 17 kg lesser than his world record show (232kg) at Paris 2024.

Meanwhile, this was Bryan’s third medal a gold in the Pattin World Cups – he has a gold at the Pattaya 2024 World Cup and a silver at the Nakhon 2023 World Cup, both in Thailand.

Bryan finished behind China's Ye Jixiong, the Tokyo 2020 silver medallist, and UAE's veteran and two-time Paralympic champion Mohammed Khamis Khalaf who took the gold and silver, respectively. 

Here are your winners for the Women's up to 45 kg!!

🥇Ling Ling Guo 🇨🇳
🥈Hellen Wawira Kariuki 🇰🇪
🥉Nasiba Tashpulatova 🇺🇿

Congratulations to everyone!!#ParaPowerlifting #Beijing2025 #Worldcup pic.twitter.com/vfDxPST37c

— Para Powerlifting (@Powerlifting) June 22, 2025

Strong local presence

Jixiong and his fellow lifters made sure of a strong local presence in the podium accumulating 14 gold medals out of the 20 events in their first competition of the season. This was also the first World Para Powerlifting event to be held in Beijing since the Paralympic Games in 2008.

The women’s contest saw a formidable campaign from the Chinese stars that also included several Paris 2024 medallists. They certainly delivered as expected claiming eight of the 10 women’s events competed at the China Administration of Sports for Persons with Disabilities (CASPD). 

Reigning Paralympic champion Guo Lingling led the home side’s charge taking the gold in the women’s up to 45kg with a world record effort of 124kg. She attained the milestone in the Powerlift (fourth attempt allowed for a record lift). 

In the process, Lingling improved her own world record mark of 123kg achieved at Paris 2024 Games. The mighty Chinese powerlifter also holds the world record in the women’s up to 41kg category (123kg) set at Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games.

Among other Paris 2024 medallists shining in their first event of the season are: Cui Zhe (women’s up to 41kg), Han Miaoyu (women’s up to 79kg) and Zheng Feifei (women up to 86kg).

Three-time Paralympic champion in the women’s up to 67kg, Tan Yujiao competed in a higher category – women’s up to 73kg – managing 125kg to win the gold. Another Paris 2024 medallist Cui Jianjin (women’s up to 61kg) competed in upper category, women’s -67kg, only to attain success.

The Chinese men also didn’t disappoint with the Paris 2024 medallists - Qi Yongkai (men’s up to 59kg), Zou Yi (Men’s up to 65kg), Gu Xiaofei (men’s up to 80 kg) and Yan Panpan (men’s up to 97 kg) - all topping the podium in their respective categories.

With the World Championships looming, the Chinese stars reaffirmed their dominance, showing they will be tough contenders in Cairo.

The winners for the Men’s over 107kg!!

🥇Akaki Jintcharadze🇬🇪
🥈Giorgi Latsabidze🇬🇪
🥉Doston Abdusattarov 🇺🇿

Congrats!#Beijing2025 #WorldCup #ParaPowerlifting pic.twitter.com/UjZBLGS9HS

— Para Powerlifting (@Powerlifting) June 23, 2025

Other stars 

There were also names like Georgia’s first ever Paralympic medallist Akaki Jintcharadze who shone yet again. Jintcharadze continued his medal winning spree to take his second gold of the season in the men’s over 107kg event. The Paris 2024 bronze medallist signed off with a lift of 232kg for the gold as his compatriot Giorgi Latsabidze followed him taking the silver on 217kg. 

Mongolia’s veteran and Tokyo 2020 champion Sodnompiljee Enkhbayar claimed the gold in the men’s up to 107kg thanks to his only successful lift lift of 232kg.

Complete results from the Beijing 2025 World Cup can be found here.

The medallists at the Beijing 2025 World Cup are: 

WOMEN’S EVENTS 

Women's up to 41kg
Gold: Cui Zhe (China)
Silver: Chen Meijiao (China)
Bronze: Daynelis Vazquez Batista (Cuba)
 
Women's up to 45kg
Gold: Guo Ling Ling (China)
Silver: Hellen Wawira Kariuki (Kenya)
Bronze: Nasiba Tashpulatova (Uzbekistan)
 
Women’s up to 50 kg
Gold: Akidakhon Akhatamova (Uzbekistan)
Silver: Wei Yi (China)
Bronze: Leidy Rodriguez (Cuba)
 
Women's up to 55kg
Gold: Xiao Cuijian (China)
Silver: Tamara Podpalnaia (NPA)
Bronze: Kamolpan Kraratpet (Thailand)
 
Women’s up to 61kg
Gold: Muslima Nuriddinova (Uzbekistan)
Silver: Hat Motnok (Thailand)
Bronze: Shi Shanshan (China)
 
Women’s up to 67 kg
Gold: Cui Jianjin (China)
Silver: Rukhshona Uktamova (Uzbekistan)
Bronze: Hyeong Hui Kim (Korea)
 
Women’s up to 73 kg
Gold: Tan Yujiao (China)
Silver: Nadezhda Sycheva (NPA)
Bronze: Youn Shil Jeong (Korea)
 
Women’s up to 79kg
Gold: Han Miaoyu Han (China)
Silver: Joyce Wambui Njuguna (Kenya)
Bronze: Olga Kazankevich (NPA)
 
Women’s up to 86kg
Gold: Zheng Feifei (China)
Silver: Vera Muratova (NPA)
Bronze: Yuseon Hwang (Korea)
 
Women’s over 86kg
Gold: Wenjun Zhu (China)
Silver: Hyunjung Lee (Korea)
Bronze: Svetlana Khairtdinova (NPA)
 
MEN’S EVENTS

Men’s up to 49kg
Gold: Emmanuel Gonzalez Rodriguez (Cuba)
Silver: Vladimir Balynets (NPA)
Bronze: Maksim Boitsov (NPA)
 
Men’s up to 54 kg
Gold: Yang Jinglang (China)
Silver: Pablo Ramirez Barrientos (Cuba)
Bronze: Adnan Noorsaeed (Saudi Arabia)
 
Men’s up to 59kg
Gold: Qi Yongkai (China) 
Silver: Herbert Aceituno (El Salvador)
Bronze: Gulfam Ahmed (India)
 
Men’s up to 65 kg
Gold: Zou Yi (China)
Silver: Fan Tianzeng (China)
Bronze: Phongsakon Chumchai (Thailand)
 
Men’s up to 72 kg
Gold: Bonnie Bunyau Gustin (Malaysia)
Silver: Jesus Cuevas Cisneros (Cuba)
Bronze: Ramubhai Bambhava (India)
 
Men’s up to 80 kg
Gold: Gu Xiaofei (China)
Silver: Bekzod Jamilov (Uzbekistan)
Bronze: Jhandu Kumar (India)
 
Men’s up to 88 kg
Gold: Ye Jixiong (China)
Silver: Mohammed K. Khalaf (UAE)
Bronze: Bryan Anak Gustin (Malaysia)
 
Men’s up to 97 kg
Gold: Yan Panpan (China)
Silver: Khusniddin Usmanov (Uzbekistan)
Bronze: Nicodemus Moses (Malaysia)
 
Men’s up to 107kg
Gold: Sodnompiljee Enkhbayar (Mongolia)
Silver: Konstantin Matsnev (NPA)
Bronze: Liu Jian (China)
 
Men’s over 107kg
Gold: Akaki Jintcharadze (Georgia)
Silver: Giorgi Latsabidze (Georgia)
Bronze: Doston Abdusattarov (Uzbekistan)