Cairo 2025: Ones to watch!

Cairo, Egypt, is ready to host the 11th edition of the World Para Powerlifting Championships from 9 to 18 October.

It will be the first-ever World Championships to take place in Africa and the first in which the Rookie & Next Gen event will run over two competition days (9–10 October).

The Elite World Championships will follow from 11 to 18 October, with 533 athletes competing across 20 bodyweight categories, a year on from the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and at the beginning of a new Paralympic Qualification Pathway.

Here is a shortlist of the world's best athletes to watch at the Elite Championships:

Clara Fuentes (Venezuela)

The 28-year-old Clara Fuentes is stepping up from the women’s up to 50kg category to test her fortunes in the women’s up to 55kg class, a year after winning gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. That was her first major gold medal, following bronze at Tokyo 2020 and two silver medals at the World Championships in 2021 and 2023.

Fuentes has progressed from the women’s up to 41kg in 2021 to the women’s up to 55kg in 2025. She will likely challenge Türkiye’s Besra Duman and Great Britain’s Olivia Broome for the gold medal.

When to watch: Women’s up to 55kg – Sunday, 12 October

Mohamed Elmenyawy (Egypt)

All eyes in the host nation will be on Mohamed Elmenyawy, who will attempt to build on his Paris 2024 gold medal in the men’s up to 59kg category. The 26-year-old will celebrate his 27th birthday just two days before the event in Cairo (10 October) and hopes to give himself the best gift ever — a gold medal at the World Championships.

This would be Elmenyawy’s first World Championships gold, as he previously won bronze at Dubai 2023.

When to watch: Men’s up to 59kg – Sunday, 12 October

Bonnie Bunyau Gustin (Malaysia)

Gustin is the two-time reigning Paralympic champion and three-time reigning World champion in the men’s up to 72kg category. All eyes will be on the 26-year-old as he takes centre stage on day three, attempting to break the world record, currently 232kg, which he set in Paris last year.

With Hu Peng absent from Cairo and Donato Telesca moving to another category, Gustin looks set for another memorable performance.

When to watch: Men’s up to 72kg – Monday, 13 October

Lingling Guo (China)

The 36-year-old Chinese Para athlete is one of the most dominant forces in the sport. Guo is a four-time World champion and two-time Paralympic champion. Although she has competed in both the women’s up to 41kg and 45kg categories, most of her golds (except Tokyo 2020 and Tbilisi 2021) came in the higher bodyweight category.

She is also one of only three active athletes to hold world records in two categories, with her most recent record-breaking lift at the Beijing 2025 World Cup, where she lifted 124kg.

When to watch: Women’s up to 45kg – Tuesday, 14 October

From underdog to champion! 🌟🇧🇷

At #Paris2024, Tayana Medeiros crushed the 156kg Paralympic record to win gold 🏋️‍♀️🥇 in the women’s up to 86kg.

Can the 32-year-old repeat her success at #Cairo2025? 👀🔥#ParaPowerlifting @Paralympics pic.twitter.com/A7Op4GDeRT

— Para Powerlifting (@Powerlifting) October 6, 2025

Omar Qarada (Jordan)

Omar Qarada arrives in Cairo as the reigning Paralympic champion from Paris and a five-time World Championships medallist. The 44-year-old has two golds and three silver medals from previous World Championships, though he is not the reigning World champion, having lost to Vietnam’s Le Van Cong in Dubai 2023.

Can Qarada bounce back and start the new Paralympic cycle with a victory?

When to watch: Men’s up to 49kg – Wednesday, 15 October

Abdelkareem Khattab (Jordan)

The 34-year-old Khattab is undoubtedly one of the most exciting athletes to watch in Para powerlifting. He is the two-time reigning Paralympic and World champion, with three golds in the men’s up to 88kg category and his latest gold at Paris 2024 in the men’s up to 97kg.

Khattab also holds world records in both categories — 251kg in the men’s up to 88kg from Dubai 2023, and 270kg in the men’s up to 97kg from Paris 2024.

When to watch: Men’s up to 97kg – Thursday, 16 October

Tayana Medeiros (Brazil)

The 32-year-old from Rio de Janeiro was one of the biggest surprises at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Having never won a medal at a major championships prior to Paris, she stunned the competition to claim gold in the women’s up to 86kg category, breaking the Paralympic record with a 156kg lift.

Now Medeiros is on a mission to win her first World Championships medal.

When to watch: Women’s up to 86kg – Friday, 17 October

The Cairo 2025 Para Powerlifting World Championships will be streamed live on World Para Powerlifting Facebook channel and Paralympic Games YouTube channel. Complete schedule and results are available here.