Paralympics: Para powerlifting day four preview

Sunday 29 August will be another day of power-packed performances at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. 

The men’s up to 88kg final will be opening day four, the penultimate day of the Para powerlifting competition programme at the Tokyo International Forum.

Jordan’s Abdelkareem Mohammed Khattab, the current world record holder, will be the man to beat in the category.

Khattab, who is also a Nur-Sultan 2019 bronze medallist, has been in terrific form recently having broken the world record at the Dubai 2021 World Para Powerlifting World Cup in June.   

He should be challenged by China’s reigning world champion Jixiong Ye and United Arab Emirates’ Rio Paralympic gold medallist Mohammed Khamis Khalaf, the 52-year-old who would be hoping to end his glittering career on a high.

Egyptian Hany Abdelhady, the Nur-Sultan 2019 silver medallist, should also be among the mix.

The second event of the day is the women’s up to 73kg finals which should produce a thrilling contest with France’s Souhad Ghazouani, Egyptian Amal Mahmoud and China’s Xu Lili among the top names in contention.

Ghazouani, the London 2012 gold medallist and Mexico City 2017 world champion, would be eager to turn her Rio 2016 silver to gold, while Mahmoud would be ready to stop her and make Tokyo 2020 her most successful Paralympics after her two bronze medals in the past editions.   

Turkey’s Cam Sibel, a silver medallist at Nur-Sultan 2019 Worlds, will be striving hard for a podium finish after ending in ninth at Rio 2016.

Evening Session 

The evening session starts with the women's up to 79kg event, with Nigeria’s Rio 2016 gold medallist Bose Omolayo standing favourite for the title. She is also a silver medallist from the Mexico City 2017 World Championships.

Others to watch out for in the event would be Egyptian Gehan Hassan, who is a Dubai 2014 Worlds silver medallist and Mexico City 2017 Worlds bronze medallist; and Russia’s Vera Muratova, who could put up a surprise show after her world record breaking performance at the Dubai 2021 World Cup.

Muratova was also the winner of the first season of the Online World Cup in 2020. The competition was created by World Para Powerlifting during the COVID-19 pandemic giving athletes the chance to compete from their hometown. 

In the last event of the day, the men’s up to 97kg final, Iran’s reigning world champion Solhipouravanji Seyedhamed will be aiming for a repeat of his Nu-Sultan 2019 performance and bring home the Paralympic gold. 

However, Seyedhamed’s road to glory will not be an easy one with performers like China’s Yan Panpan and Colombia Fabio Torres, both World Championships medallists, in the fray for top honours.

Besides, Egyptian Moahmed Ahmed, who is competing in a lower category than his Rio 2016 silver medal winning effort in men’s up to 107kg, will be keen to put up a powerful show in Tokyo.

Complete schedule, results and all medallists will be available on Paralympic.org.