Sport Week: Big lifters expected at Rio 2016

Para powerlifters consistently register impressive lifts which can be nearly four times their own bodyweight.

But what does that mean in the real world? Here is a guide to some of the sport’s most impressive world record lifts.

Siamand Rahman, Iran

World record lift: 296kg

Equivalent to: Two large baby elephants

Bodyweight: 187.7kg

Where: 2016 IPC Powerlifting World Cup, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Weight category: Men’s over 107kg

Being known as the ‘world’s strongest Paralympian’ is not enough for the Iranian. His current world record of 296kg came with a promise to attempt 300kg at Rio 2016.

Van Cong Le, Vietnam

World record lift: 182kg

Equivalent to: 80 house bricks

Bodyweight: 47.30kg

Where: 2015 IPC Powerlifting Asian Open Championships, Almaty, Kazakhstan

Weight category: Men’s up to 49kg

World Championships silver medallist and Asian champion Le lifted more than three times his own bodyweight on his road to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Sherif Othman, Egypt

World record lift: 210.5kg

Equivalent to: 140 bags of flour

Bodyweight: 58.55kg

Where: 2016 IPC Powerlifting World Cup, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Weight category: Men’s up to 59kg

Othman’s world record is nearly four times his own bodyweight. He also holds the mark in the men’s up to 54kg, but moved up to the heavier category after winning gold at the 2014 World Championships.

Dandan Hu, China

World record lift: 106kg

Equivalent to: 2.5 bags of cement

Bodyweight: 44.30kg

Where: 2015 IPC Powerlifting Asian Open Championships, Almaty, Kazakhstan

Weight category: women’s up to 45kg

A serial gold medallist at the regional level, including two titles from the Asian and European Opens, Hu will make her Paralympic debut at Rio 2016.

Esther Oyema, Nigeria

World record lift: 126kg

Equivalent to: 126 one litre bottles of water

Bodyweight: 48.22kg

Where: Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games

Weight category: Women’s up to 50kg

Another athlete to compete in a higher weight category in the build-up to Rio, Paralympic champion Oyema impressed the crowds at Glasgow 2014. She went on to claim silver at the 2015 Asian Open Championships.

Useful links

IPC Powerlifting’s website

Editor’s note: Each sport on the Rio 2016 Paralympic programme will have a dedicated week of featured content published on paralympic.org. Every week a new sport will be featured and the series will run until September’s Games, helping the public understand more about the 22 sports being contested in Rio.

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Sport fans from around the world can now buy their Paralympic tickets for Rio 2016 from authorised ticket resellers (ATRs)

The IPC’s Global ATR is Jet Set Sports, and Rio 2016 tickets and packages can be purchased on the CoSport website.

Residents of Brazil can buy 2016 Paralympics tickets directly from the Rio 2016 website.