Tokyo 2020: Para powerlifting in numbers

Para powerlifting kicks off on Thursday (26 August) at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. 

The sport has been part of the Paralympics programme since 1984 and will see 20 medal events taking place in the Tokyo International Forum.

The venue was also used in the weightlifting competition at this year’s Olympic Games. 

Here are the numbers, the facts and the stars you need to know to get ready for the action.

3

The number of career Paralympic powerlifting golds won by Tokyo 2020 men’s competitors Sherif Osman (Egypt) and Liu Lei (China); and by Lucy Ejike (Nigeria), Lidiia Soloviova (Ukraine) and Amalia Perez (Mexico) in the women’s competition. 

4

The Paralympic powerlifting gold medal record: held jointly by female lifters Fatma Omar (EGY) and Taoying Fu (China), as well as by male athlete Zhang Haidong (CHN).

5

Medals won by Omar, who also took a silver at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. At Tokyo 2020, she could become the sole Paralympic record-holder  with six career medals.

6

Gold medals won by Nigeria at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, the most of any NPC.

20

Medal events to be contested at Tokyo 2020 in the men’s and women’s powerlifting competitions (10 each).

70

Powerlifting medals won by China, including 27 golds. Egypt sits just behind China in the overall table with 69 medals.

90

Competitors in each gender set to take part in Para powerlifting competition at Tokyo 2020, the first time the sport reaches a 50-50 gender parity.

310

Weight in kilograms lifted by the late Siamand Rahman (Iran) at Rio 2016, where he became the first Paralympic powerlifter to break the 300kg barrier, setting a world record that stands to this day.

1984

The year powerlifting debuted on the Paralympic programme at the New York & Stoke Mandeville Games. In Atlanta 1996 it became the sole Paralympic lifting event when weightlifting was removed from the Games.

2000

The year women began competing in Paralympic powerlifting at the Sydney Games. 

Complete schedule and results from the Para powerlifting events at Tokyo 2020 can be found here.