Strong Performances on Day 2 of Powerlifting Championships

Athletes from Russia and Egypt showed strong performances on day 2 of the 2010 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Powerlifting World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Egypt's Sherief Othman broke his own world record in the men's category of up to 56kg by lifting 205kg. Rasool Mohsin from Iraq finished second with a weight of 197.5kg, which also brought him the gold medal in the junior category. He was followed by Nader Moradi fro Iran, who lifted 185kg.

Ashraf Ibrahim won the second gold medal for Egypt in the men's category of up to 52kg with a weight of 167.5kg. Qi Feng (CHN) and Hussein Juboori (IRQ) finished on second and third place respectively.

The women's events on this day were dominated by Russian athletes. Olesya Lafina won the gold medal in the women's category of up 48kg by lifting 115kg. She was followed by Shanshan Shi from China and her compatriot Cuijuan Xiao, who lifted 110kg and 107.5kg respectively.

In the women's category of up to 52kg, Russia's Tamara Podpalnaya took home the gold medal with a lifted weight of 120kg. China's Hongchan Wang won the silver medal, followed by Turkey's Ozlem Becerikli.

Competitions will continue through 30 July at the Kuala Lumpur Stadium Titiwangsa, with athletes using their performances to measure their international standing. Athletes will also be competing to prepare for the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were Powerlifting will be part of the Summer Games programme.

Held just after the World Championships on 31 July, many of those participating in the event will be at the 2010 IPC Powerlifting Sport Forum. The forum will be an opportunity for all those involved in the Paralympic Sport to provide feedback and expert information on its future.