Paris 2024 Paralympic Games: Para Powerlifting Day One Results and Highlights
The opening day of competition at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games saw an intense display of Para powerlifting, though the French contingent unfortunately did not secure any medals. Despite high expectations for Axel Bourlon, a Paralympic silver medalist from Tokyo 2021, he concluded the event in disappointment. Bourlon, representing his nation amid a vibrant supportive crowd, faced significant challenges from the outset. His initial lift of 163 kilograms was adjudged invalid, and subsequent attempts at increased weights yielded no successful lifts, leading to a non-ranking outcome.
In contrast, Kazakhstan’s David Degtyarev triumphed in this category, lifting 188 kilograms to secure gold, with Cuba’s Pablo Ramirez Barrientos and China’s Jinglang Yang following closely with lifts of 185 kilograms and 179 kilograms, respectively.
The French Para powerlifting team also featured Alex Adelaïde, who placed sixth in his event. Adelaïde, previously a bronze medalist in Para athletics at the Rio Games, struggled with his lifts, unable to validate his attempts at 165 and 172 kilograms. His experience served as a backdrop to a challenging debut in this discipline, but he remains committed to pursuing success at future competitions.
Additionally, the day’s events showcased significant achievements in the women’s categories, where both a world record and several Paralympic records were established. In the under 41-kilogram category, Zhen Cui of China claimed gold with a lift of 119 kilograms, just shy of the world record of 123 kilograms, while in the under 45-kilogram category, Lingling Guo, also from China, set a new world and Paralympic record by lifting 123 kilograms.
The competition will continue until the conclusion of the events on 8 September, featuring further opportunities for athletes to showcase their exceptional abilities in Para powerlifting, including the men’s and women’s over 86 kilogram and over 107 kilogram categories, respectively.
Though it was a day of mixed performances for the French team, they remain hopeful for future events as they aim to make their mark in upcoming competitions.
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