Brazilian powerlifter Joseano Felipe passes away

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has sent its condolences to the family and friends of Brazilian powerlifter Joseano Felipe who tragically passed away on Wednesday night (27 January).

Felipe, who won gold at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games in the men’s up to 107kg class, was most recently in action last Saturday (23 January) at the IPC Powerlifting World Cup in Rio, Brazil.

At the event, which doubled us as a Rio 2016 Test Event, the 42-year-old broke the Americas record with a lift of 206 kg to win the gold and improve his chances of qualifying for his first Paralympic Games.

Sir Philip Craven, IPC President, said: “I would like to pass on my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Joseano Felipe following his tragic passing.

“Joseano was a well-liked and popular man on the IPC Powerlifting circuit who was on the cusp of qualifying for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

“Coached by his son since last year, he took up the sport in 2005. Last August he achieved arguably his greatest feat when he claimed gold at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games and was in great form as shown by his Americas record last Saturday.

“He will be sadly missed by all with the Paralympic Movement, especially those in the powerlifting community.”

A member of the military police’s special operations battalion, he was shot in the spine and left paralysed from the waist down in 2000. It happened as he was trying to stop a mass jail break-out staged to ‘rescue’ notorious bank robber Valdetário Carneiro from Alcacuz prison in Nísia Floresta in north east Brazil.