Initially, the sport of weightlifting catered only to male athletes with spinal cord injuries. Over the years, the sport expanded to include other impairment groups and now welcomes both male and female competitors.

How the Sport Works

Para Powerlifting represents the ultimate test of upper body strength, with athletes competing in the bench press discipline.

• Competitors must lower the bar to their chest, hold it motionless, and then press it upwards to arms-length with locked elbows.
• Athletes are given three attempts, and the winner is determined by the highest number of kilograms lifted.

Weight Divisions:

• Men: 49kg, 54kg, 59kg, 65kg, 72kg, 80kg, 88kg, 97kg, 107kg, and +107kg divisions.
• Women: 41kg, 45kg, 50kg, 55kg, 61kg, 67kg, 73kg, 79kg, 86kg, and +86kg divisions.

Historic Paralympic Representation

Weightlifting made its Paralympic debut at the 1964 Tokyo Games. However, it was not until the 1984 Games that powerlifting was first included as a Paralympic sport. Since then, Para Powerlifting has grown to become a cornerstone of Paralympic strength sports.