Dubai 2021 World Cup: China dominate with two gold medals on penultimate day

Dubai - China's second gold in the day was claimed by reigning world champion Deng Xuemei in women's over 86 kg

China dominated the fifth day’s action winning two gold medals, thanks to the efforts of World Championships medallists Yan Panpan and Deng Xuemei, at the 11th Fazza Dubai 2021 Para Powerlifting World Cup in Dubai on Wednesday.

The heavyweight events started with the men’s up to 97kg with Panpan, the World Championships silver medallist, emerging the winner with successful lifts in all three attempts, finally finishing with 231 kg.

Colombia’s Fabio Torres, the former Americas champion, managed a 226kg lift in his second attempt for the silver ahead of Iraq’s Thaer Al-Ali (216kg).

China’s second gold in the day was claimed by reigning world champion Deng Xuemei in women's over 86 kg with a lift of 157kg. In doing so, she also bettered her own Asian record of 151kg set at Nur Sultan 2019 Worlds.

Russian Irina Sadovnikova finished far behind on 138kg for the silver, while Perla Barcenas of Mexico took the bronze clearing the bar at 135kg.

Jordan's Aljuneidi claims bronze

In an exciting men’s upto 107kg event, Russia’s Konstantin Matsnev clinched the gold with 240kg, just a kilo ahead of Malaysia’s Yee Khie Jong (239kg) and Jordan’s Mutaz Z. D. Aljuneidi who settled for the bronze with 217kg.

Matsnev, in fact, attempted for a new world record of 248kg in his fourth attempt but had to be content with 240kg. The world record is currently held by Mongolia’s Sodnompiljee Enkhbayar on 247kg from Nur Sultan 2019 World Championships.

Greece get first gold, Iraq’s Faris takes bronze

Meanwhile, Greece got their first gold in Dubai 2021 through Dimou Konstantinos in men’s over 107kg category with a lift of 224kg, while Azerbaijan’s Shamo Aslanov managed a 223kg lift in his only successful third attempt for the silver.

The bronze was clinched by Iraq’s Worlds bronze medallist Faris Al Ageeli (215 kg)

“I am very happy with my performance here as I was competing after a long time. It was a difficult last year owing to Covid -19 and we had lot of difficulty in training, but it’s nice to finally compete and get a desirable result here. The gold definitely boosted my confidence,” said Konstantinos, a former European champion.

At the medals’ standings, China lead with seven gold, five silver and one bronze, followed by Egypt with three gold and two silver and, Russia with two gold, three silver and four bronze medals.

Around 300 para powerlifters from 62 nations are vying for glory at the Dubai 2021 event which is the last chance for the para powerlifters to improve their world rankings to get a slot at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.