Santiago 2025 Preview: Final test for Paralympic medallists ahead of Cairo Worlds

Paris 2024 champions Onyinyechi Mark and Folashade Oluwafemiayo headline Nigeria’s powerhouse squad in Chile, while local favourite Marion Serrano takes centre stage at the final World Cup before October’s World Championships 13 Aug 2025

A Para powerlifter in a Team Nigeria uniform sits up on a lifting bench and raises her arms in the air in celebration

Nigeria's Folashade Oluwafemiayo is the reigning Paralympic champion and world record holder in the women's over 86kg

By World Para Powerlifting

The third World Cup of the season is set to get underway in Santiago, Chile with all focus on the preparations for the forthcoming World Para Powerlifting Championships.

A total of 114 athletes from 16 nations will be in action from 15-17 August (Friday to Sunday) in the final event ahead of the Cairo 2025 Worlds in October. Among them, two Paralympic champions travelling coming from Africa.

Paris 2024 champions

Algeria and Nigeria from Africa and Georgia from Europe are the three countries outside of the Americas region competing in the World Cup in Chile.

Nigeria will bring 10 athletes to Santiago, including their Paris 2024 champions Onyinyechi Mark (women's up to 61kg) and Folashade Oluwafemiayo (women's over 86kg). Silver medallist in Paris, Esther Oyema (women's up to 41kg), is also on the list.

Mark is also the current world champion from Dubai 2023 in the women’s up to 61kg.

Algeria has their only Paris 2024 medallist among their four athletes – Bettir Hocine, who took the bronze in the men’s up to 65kg at both Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

Georgia will also travel with their most successful athlete among the delegation of four: Akaki Jintcharadze, the men’s over 107kg bronze medallist at Paris 2024.

He had a great season so far having won gold medals in the last two World Cups in Tbilisi and Beijing.

Heading to South America and Santiago for the last World Cup before the #Cairo25 World Championships! 🇨🇱#ParaPowerlifting pic.twitter.com/5r26SNLU33
— Para Powerlifting (@Powerlifting) August 11, 2025

Big numbers from Americas

The Santiago 2025 World Cup will be an opportunity for the athletes in Americas to gain experience and thus a large number of participants from the region will be in action in Chile.

The host nation has the largest delegation that includes their first-ever medallist in the sport in the Paralympics, Marion Serrano – who picked up the bronze in the women’s up to 86kg category at Paris 2024.

Camila Campos (women’s up to 55kg), Juan Carlos Garrido (men’s up to 59kg) and Jorge Carinao (men’s up to 65kg) are the other Paris 2024 Paralympic athletes from Chile competing in Santiago this week.

El Salvador will be led by Herbert Aceituno, who gave the country the first-ever medal in the Paralympic Games in any sport with his bronze at Tokyo 2020. He has two silver medals in the last two World Championships (Tbilisi 2021 and Dubai 2023) in the men’s up to 59kg.

None of Brazil’s four medallists from Paris 2024 will be in Santiago, but the 16 athletes are among the roster of 25 names announced for the World Championships in Cairo.

Cuba and Venezuela will be also without their Paris 2024 medallists but their 10 plus member teams will ensure that they return home with some experience.

Team events will wrap up the World Cup on Sunday with teams from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Georgia, Peru and Venezuela.

Complete results of the Santiago 2025 World Cup will be posted on the World Para Powerlifting website.