Tokyo 2020: Top five Para powerlifting moments

Para powerlifting fans faced a tough task in September as they had a week to vote for the top five best moments of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

After five days of unforgettable action in the Tokyo International Forum with 20 exciting medal events, fans were up for a challenge themselves, but they managed to pick the best.

Here is the complete list:

Mariana D’Andrea, Brazil

The Brazilian sensation won the women’s up to 73kg category on the penultimate day of the competition in Tokyo. The 23-year-old took the first Para powerlifting gold medal at the Paralympics for Brazil. It was D’Andrea’s second major international victory after she triumphed at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games in Peru.

Omar Qarada, Jordan

The 40-year-old became the first Para powerlifter from Jordan to become a Paralympic champion after winning the men’s up to 49kg final at the Tokyo International Forum. Qarada fell short at the Beijing 2008 and Rio 2016 settling for a silver medal. He felt short of the gold medal again taking silver in the last two World Championships in 2017 and 2019.

“The Paralympic gold is just a stepping stone for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, where I promise I will set a new world record,” said Qarada who will be going for more gold at the World Championships in November in Georgia.

Mariana Shevchuk, Ukraine

The 25-year-old Ukrainian was not matched after she lifted 125kg in her first attempt in the women’s 55kg category on the second day of Para powerlifting action at Tokyo 2020.

Shevchuk came to the Paralympic Games as the reigning world and European champion, and broke the world record twice this year. The Paralympic gold was the only medal missing in her collection as she finished fourth at the Rio 2016 Games.

Roohallah Rostami, Iran

Iran’s Roohallah Rostami added the Paralympic gold from Tokyo to the long list of his international success in the last couple of years. He is the reigning world and Asian champion from Nur-Sultan 2019 and Jakarta 2018.

After the third successful lift of 234kg, Rostami returned for the power lift in an attempt to break his own world record but did not manage to raise the bar to 242kg in the men’s up to 80kg category. The 32-year-old won his first Paralympic gold nine years after getting the silver medal at London 2012.

Sodnompiljee Enkhbayar, Mongolia

The 36-year-old Mongolian Para powerlifter won the country's second gold medal in Paralympic history and the first in Para powerlifting. Enkhbayar did more than enough with his 245kg second lift in the men’s up to 107kg to win gold. It was Mongolia’s only medal at Tokyo 2020.

Complete results from Para powerlifting in Tokyo can be found here.