Mexico City 2017: Top five powerlifting moments

World Championships see memorable clashes and records tumble 11 Dec 2017
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Five powerlifters celebrate winning gold

Special memories were made at Mexico City 2017

By IPC

Five world records and several thrilling moments made the seven days of the Mexico City 2017 World Para Powerlifting Championships unforgettable. Here are five of the best.

1. Two Mexican golds

An ecstatic home crowd greeted Mexican success during the first two days of the competition. Jose de Jesus Castillo Castillo won a dramatic men’s up to 107kg on the first. He was in third position after two rounds but lifted 236kg in his last attempt to climb to the top of the podium. Then Amalia Perez did not disappoint in the women’s up to 55kg, winning gold after clearing the bar at 123kg for her third world title.

2. Lingling Guo breaks world record

The Chinese set a new world record of 110kg in the women’s up to 45kg, defeating reigning Paralympic and world champion Nazmiye Muratli of Turkey and Great Britain’s two-time Paralympic bronze medallist Zoe Newson. What made her performance even more impressive was that Mexico City was her first major international competition.

3. Le Van Cong finally wins world title

After finishing second at both Kuala Lumpur 2010 and Dubai 2014, Vietnam’s Paralympic champion finally claimed his missing title in the men’s up to 49kg, setting a world record of 183.5kg in his fourth lift to break the mark he had set at Rio 2016.

4. Lucy Ejike tops the podium

The three-time Paralympic gold medallist travelled to Mexico optimistic about winning her first world title. And she did it without much hesitation. Ejike lifted 130kg in her first attempt, which was enough to secure her gold. Even though she followed that up with three failed lifts, the Nigerian left the Worlds as undisputed champion for the first time.

5. Paul Kehinde dethrones Lei Liu

The World Championships ended in thrilling style as the Nigerian Paralympic champion set a world record of 220.5kg in the men’s up to 65kg with the final lift of the competition. Kehinde’s victory at his debut Worlds also condemned the Chinese to his first defeat at a major international competition following his three Paralympic and two previous world golds.

More information on the World Para Powerlifting Championships, including highlights, results and athlete profiles can be found on the Mexico City 2017 website.