Five epic powerlifting lifts

The world of powerlifting is filled with incredible lifts of the kind that would make most people’s eyes water.

With three regional Championships taking place in 2015 in Mexico City, Mexico; Almaty, Kazakhstan; and Eger, Hungary, as the curtain raisers for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, here are five of the headline acts from the last two years.

Siamand Rahman, Iran, men’s over 107kg, Incheon 2014, 292.0kg

Dubbed the world’s strongest Paralympian after his world record lift of 285.0kg at the 2014 IPC Powerlifting World Championships in Dubai, UAE, the Iranian powerhouse has a clear ultimate target in his mind of 300kg.

At the Incheon 2014 Asian Para Games, Rahman powered his way even closer to that goal with an awe-inspiring lift of 292.0kg.

Randa Mahmoud, Egypt, women’s up to 86kg, Dubai 2014, 143.0kg

This weight category at Dubai 2014 featured a battle royale between Mahmoud and Nigeria’s Loveline Obiji.

Obiji looked to be in control after a 136.0kg first round lift that was a full 6kg clear of Mahmoud’s own attempt, following on with a second 139kg haul that bettered Mahmoud’s by a further 4kg.

But Mahmoud struck her rival full-on in the third and final round, pumping 143.0kg clear into the air, just clearing Obiji’s best by 0.5kg.

Aiming to show that she had not been pushed out of the picture, Obiji went on to set a new world mark of 144.0kg at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Ali Jawad, Great Britain, men’s up to 59kg, Glasgow 2014, 194.0kg

Jawad was back with a vengeance in 2014, having spent most of 2013 battling with a flare-up of Crohn’s Disease.

First he set a new world record at Dubai 2014, adding 4.5kg onto his own 185.5kg mark from November 2013. There, Jawad looked more focused than ever before and sent out a clear message of intent to his rivals that he had returned to full strength.

Onto Glasgow 2014 then, where Jawad added yet another 4kg to the record competing for England on home soil.

Sherif Othman, Egypt, men’s up to 54kg, Dubai 2014, 205.0kg

Currently in the weight category below Jawad, Othman has made his intentions for 2015 and 2016 very clear.

He plans to move up a weight category and take on the Brit, who is ready and waiting for his challenge.

Othman proved exactly what he is capable of at Dubai 2014, clearing his nearest competition by 22kg and adding 21kg onto his previous best from the same venue in 2013. Not only that, but Othman’s lift is 11kg heavier than Jawad’s competition best.

Souhad Ghazouani, France, women’s up to 73kg, Aleksin 2013, 150.0kg

Ghazouani’s world record lift of 150.0kg at the 2013 IPC Powerlifting World Championships in Aleksin, Russia, still stands today, proving just how impressive it was.

Heading into Aleksin, the Frenchwoman was the world record holder in the old weight category of up to 67.50kg from London 2012.

Less than one year later, she was not about to rest on her laurels and added four kilogrammes to her old mark, the equivalent of 120 bottles of wine.

The 2015 IPC Powerlifting Americas Open Championships take place from 26-29 April in Mexico City, followed by the Asian Open Championships in Almaty from 26-30 July and the European Open Championships in Eger from 24-28 November.