Turkey’s Muslu makes history at powerlifting worlds
06.04.2014Nazmiye Muslu made history one day one of the powerlifting world championships by becoming the first woman in the -41kg category to lift more than 100kg and Paralympic champion Nigerian Yakubu Adesokan wins the men’s -49kg title.
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"I am very happy with my record. It has been a lot of hard work and a long time coming"
Turkey's Paralympic champion Nazmiye Muslu made history on the first day of the 2014 IPC Powerlifting World Championships in Dubai, UAE, on Saturday (5 April) by becoming the first woman to break the 100kg barrier in the -41kg weight category with a gold medal winning lift of 103kg.
Muslu showed her intent to break new ground with her first lift by equalling her own world record of 100kg set at the 2013 IPC Powerlifting European Championships. Then, in the second round, the 35 year old went further lifting 103kg and was able to sit-out the final round.
"I am very happy with my record. It has been a lot of hard work and a long time coming," said Muslu afterwards.
China's Zhe Cui (98kg) added 3kg onto her personal best to take silver and equal her medal performance from London 2012. Indonesian Ni Nengah Widiashi (93kg) took bronze.
The women's junior crown went to Russian Yulia Vorontsova (69kg) with a new junior world record.
In an incredibly tense men's -49kg, which saw the world record fall three times, Nigeria's Yakubu Adesokan beat off a sustained challenge Vietnam's Van Cong Le.
The gold medal looked to be Le's after the 29 year-old broke Adesokan's world record with a lift of 177kg in the second round, and improved it further still with a 180kg lift in the third round.
However, Adesokan showed true champion qualities with a final lift of 181kg to take back the world record and complete a unique Grand Slam of Paralympic, world and Commonwealth titles.
Russia's London 2012 silver medallist Vladimir Balynetc (166kg) finished third, whilst the junior world record went to 15 year-old Iranian Mohsen Bakhtiar (131kg) who finished tenth overall.
The 2014 IPC Powerlifting World Championships, featuring over 330 athletes from nearly 60 countries, run from 5-11 April and are the first opportunity for athletes to begin qualification for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
The competition also features the climax to the "Raise the Bar campaign," which has seen powerlifters and team officials take part in education seminars as part of efforts to reduce doping in the sport. A full competition schedule is available as well as live results.
For more information about the 2014 IPC Powerlifting World Championships, please visit the event website
