Paris 2024: Best Para powerlifting moments
Nigeria’s Onyinyechi Mark makes stunning debut to take gold, breaking world record twice on the way Mohamed Elmenyawy of Egypt upsets Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Qi Yongkai of China French star Souhad Ghazouani makes her sixth Paralympic Games appearance on home soil 07 Oct 2024The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games were packed with memorable moments, including athletic feats and historic firsts, that took place at stunning venues in front of a vocal crowd.
We will share three moments from each sport that made the Games very special.
Top moment
Para powerlifting featured about 180 athletes from around the world competing in 20 medal events.
Nigeria’s Onyinyechi Mark made a stunning Paralympic debut. She won the women’s -61kg category after breaking the world record twice back-to-back at La Chapelle Arena.
Her final regular lift was 147kg, breaking her own world record by 1 kg, before a 150kg Power Lift just moments later.
“I feel excited and so happy. I’ve worked so hard to be in these Games today, my expectation was for me to win my gold,” Mark said. “I’m here today to win, I did it. I’m so happy.”
China’s Cui Jianjin secured silver with a lift of 140 kilograms, while Mexico’s Amalia Perez Vazquez lifted 130 kg for bronze at her seventh Paralympic Games.
Lingling guo 🇨🇳 women's up to 45kg: 123kg
— Para Powerlifting (@Powerlifting) September 20, 2024
Onyinyechi Mark 🇳🇬 women's up to 61kg: 150kg
Yujiao tan 🇨🇳 women's up to 67kg: 142kg
Miaoyu han 🇨🇳 women's up to 79kg: 154kg
Folashade Oluwafemiayo 🇳🇬 women's over 86kg: 167kg
@ Getty Images and Hiroki Nishioka / WPPO pic.twitter.com/rvhZfVNxoa
Biggest surprise
Mohamed Elmenyawy of Egypt won his maiden Paralympic gold medal in the men’s -59kg event with a 201-kg lift at La Chapelle Arena.
He beat Tokyo 2020 Paralympic gold medallist Qi Yongkai of China, who lifted 200kg for silver. Mohsen Bakhtiar of Iran took bronze.
“I’m very happy because it is the first medal for me. I thank my coach, the Egyptian people and my family. I dreamed about doing it and I did it,” Elmenyawy said after the competition on 5 September.
“I was confident in myself at the first Paralympic Games for me. I deserved the gold medal.”
Qi said he was surprised to see Elmenyawy’s performance in Paris.
“I felt pretty surprised, because in the (Paralympic) cycle after Tokyo (2020 Paralympic Games), he never managed to lift that weight. So I’m quite surprised he did it today,” he said.
“I’ll try to do better in training so that I’ll be more confident in competition. I will also work harder and hopefully I’ll be able to win a gold medal.”
Home hero
Souhad Ghazouani made her sixth Paralympic appearance in the French capital. The London 2012 Paralympic gold medallist lifted 125 kilograms, more than double her weight, in the women’s -67kg category.
Ghazouani took silver on her Paralympic debut at Athens 2004. In Paris, China’s Tan Yujiao topped the podium, with Egypt’s Fatma Elyan securing silver and Brazil’s Maria de Fatima Costa de Castro bronze.