Mexico City 2017: Powerlifting Junior Worlds kick off Para Sport Festival

Sport’s best rising stars will contest seven men's and eight women's categories 02 Dec 2017
Imagen
Young powerlifter celebrates

Argentinian powerlifter Rodrigo Villamarin headlines a strong field

ⒸRodrigo Villamarin
By IPC

Powerlifting’s best young athletes have the chance to show what they can do as the World Para Powerlifting Junior Championships kicks off the 2017 Para Sport Festival on Saturday (2 December) in Mexico City. Seven male and eight female junior categories will be contested, with the world's future powerlifting stars showcasing their strength.

In the men's up to 49kg, Argentina's Youth Parapan American champion Rodrigo Villamarin will face tough challenges from Brazilians Marcos Cruzato and Lucas dos Santos.

Hungary's Gyorgy Sztano, Japan's Kazuki Okuyama, Kazakhstan's Akzhol Zharylgapov and United Arab Emirates' Osama Albalushi will take part in the men's up to 59kg.

Brazilian Youth Parapan American medallists will be favourites in four other male categories. In the men's up to 65kg, Heleno Silva will go against Poland's Sebastian Switonski and USA's Christian Largo.

Silva's compatriot Vinicius de Freitas will contest the men's up to 72kg versus Colombia's Oscar Grueso Herrera, Italy's Donato Telesca and Turkey's Uzeyir Karakoc. Brazil's Mateus de Assis Silva (men's up to 97kg) and Vitor Da Silva (men's up to 107kg) will other two to look out for, same as Japan's Yasuharu Matsuzaki (men´s over 107kg).

The world's best female junior powerlifters have also travelled to Mexico City for the Worlds, including Venezuela's Clara Fuentes, who will compete in the women's up to 41kg.

An all-Latin American showdown is expected in the women's up to 45kg, with Mexican powerlifters Maria Arredondo and Juanita Montes, and Venezuela's Oriana Teran competing.

The women´s up to 79kg also promises to be exciting, with Argentina's Johanna Gonzalez facing Brazilian Maria Rita de Oliveira and Chile´s Marion Serrano.

More information can be found on Mexico City 2017’s website.