The Sport
The sport 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 on the chest and then press it upwards to
arms-length with locked elbows. Athletes are given three attempts, and the
winner is the athlete who lifts the highest number of kilograms.
Such is the strength of athletes
competing in this sport, that it is not uncommon to see a competitor lift more
than three times their own body weight.
World Para Powerlifting, under the
governance of the International Paralympic Committee, acts as the international
federation for the sport and is based in Bonn, Germany.
Open to male and female athletes with
eight eligible physical impairments, athletes compete in one sport class across
10 different weight categories per gender.
Competition description
• Men compete in the
49kg, 54kg, 59kg, 65kg, 72kg, 80kg, 88kg, 97kg, 107kg and +107kg divisions.
•
Women compete in the 41kg, 45kg, 50kg, 55kg, 61kg, 67kg, 73kg, 79kg,
86kg and +86kg divisions.
Sport Equipment
Athletes compete lying on an official
World Para Powerlifting approved bench which is 2.1m long. The width of the
bench is 61cm wide and narrows to 30cm where the head is placed.
The height of
the bench varies between 48 and 50cm from the ground. World Para Powerlifting approved discs must
conform to several standards outlined in the sport’s rules and regulations.
History and Paralympic Debut
Powerlifting was first included as a Paralympic sport at the
1984 Paralympic Games, although weightlifting made its Games debut at the Tokyo
1964 Paralympics.
Since Barcelona 1992 only powerlifting is part of the
Paralympic Games programme with weightlifting no longer featuring.
Women were first allowed to compete
in Paralympic powerlifting at the Sydney 2000 Games.
Iran Para Powerlifting
Iran men’s Para Powerlifting made its
debut in 1980 and the first edition of National Championships was held in the
same year.
Eight years later, Team Iran
experienced its first international appearance at Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games.
Iranian Stars and Debutants
** In 2012, Iran’s 24-year-old Siamand Rahman won gold at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, breaking the Paralympic
record of 265kg that was previously held by his teammate Kazem Rajabi with his
first lift of 270kg and broke it again with his second attempt of 280kg. In
2016, history was made by Rahman when he cleared the bar at an unprecedented
310 kg to break the world record, equivalent to two baby elephants!
Iranian Para Powerlifting legend
passed away at the age of 32 on March 1st, 2020, after suffering a heart attack.
** Iran Women’s Para Powerlifting made
its debut in 2019.
The first edition of National
Championships was held in the same year. National women’s para powerlifters’
first appearance at the Asia-Oceania Open Championships in Pyeongtaek, South
Korea. Women’s squad claimed three Bronzes in Hangzhou 2022 to make its debut
at the Asian Para Games.
Athletes activating in this sport are
under support of IRISFE which the federation is member IRI National Paralympic
Committee.
Media
Watch an introduction to the sport on
Paralympic Sports A-Z: Para Powerlifting