Powerlifting is the ultimate test of upper body strength. Initially exclusive to male competitors with spinal cord injuries, this sport has expanded to include men and women within a wider range of disability categories. More than 100 national Paralympic powerlifting teams compete.
The objective for each athlete is to lift the most kilograms. Lifters are required to lie on an official bench with their head and body (including buttocks) in contact with the bench, and their legs and both heels extended throughout the complete lift. Athletes must lower the bar to his/her chest. Once the bar is motionless on the chest he/she presses upward straightening arms and holds the bar motionless until signalled by the referee. Athletes are given three attempts to perform each lift; their performance is assessed by three referees. Weight increases for the second and third sets must be in multiples of 2.5kg, the only exception to this is when a new record is being set. The heaviest "good lift" (within the weight class) is used for final placing in the competition.
Weight categories: Powerlifting is the only discipline with 10 different weight divisions. Athletes draw lots to determine the order of weigh-in and lifts. Men and women compete separately.
Men’s competitions: 48kg, 52kg, 56kg, 60kg, 67.5kg, 75kg, 82.5kg, 90kg, 100kg and +100kg divisions.
Women’s competitions: 40kg, 44kg, 48kg, 52kg, 56kg, 60kg, 67.5kg, 75kg, 82.5kg and +82.5kg divisions.
Powerlifting is governed by the IPC and co-ordinated by the IPC Powerlifting Technical Committee. For more detailed information on the sport, please visit the official website at www.ipc-powerlifting.org .
Classification
Powerlifting is an open class event, meaning all athletes in a given weight category, regardless of their disability, compete against one another. Athletes with the following disabilities are eligible to compete: paralysis, cerebral palsy, lower limb amputations, dwarfism, shortened lower limbs, joint replacement, and frozen joints of the lower limbs including the buttocks, hip, thigh, leg, ankle, and foot. All eligible participants must be determined physically fit by a physician.
Eligibility for athletes with upper body disabilities is dependent on the classification team who assesses the individual to ensure there is no potential high risk for injury.
Powerlifting is governed by the International Paralympic Committee on Powerlifting; their purpose is to allow any athlete with a physical disability to engage in international competitions, provided that he/she meets the standards of minimum disability as published by the IPC.
Classification rules for Paralympic powerlifting athletes state the following:
All competitors must have the ability to fully extend their arms with no more than a 20 degree loss of full extension on either elbow
Amputee athletes are permitted to wear an artificial limb
Athletes can be strapped to the bench by a single belt placed at any point on the legs from the ankles to the hips (athletes with cerebral palsy are permitted two strapping belts)
Athletes unable to fully extend their arms or legs are permitted to compete with documented pre-approval from the classification officials
Athletes with upper body disabilities may be disqualified in the case where an official deems participation dangerous to the competitor
Lifters can be disqualified for any of the following reasons:
Inability to raise the bar upwards to full extension of the arms
Not making a synchronized move
Failure to keep the bar motionless on the chest
Incompletion of an attempt within the time limit
Change of body position on the bench during a lift
Heaving, bouncing, or sinking the bar after it has been motionless on the chest
Making any downward movement of the bar in the course of pressing it out
Spotter/loader contact with the bar between the Referee's signals
Failure to observe the referee's signals at commencement or completion
Failure to comply with the requirements the lift
History
The benchpress competition, widely known as "weightlifting," was one of the initial Paralympic sports. It made its debut at the 1964 Games in Tokyo (the 2nd Paralympic Games) where it was exclusive to lifters with spinal cord injuries. The sport soon expanded to include lifters within other disability groups. It also took on the same rules as able-bodied powerlifting. The competition opened to women at the Sydney Games in 2000.
Twenty-five countries participated in the powerlifting competitions at the 1992 Paralympic Games in Barcelona. The number of teams more than doubled to 58 at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games. That number has since risen to see more than 109 countries across five continents compete.
(Source: CPC and IPC)
