Para powerlifting calendar confirmed until 2020

IPC Powerlifting has confirmed the competition calendar for the next Paralympic cycle in 2017-2020 as the sport prepares to capitalise on the growing number of athletes and countries who are competing in Para powerlifting.

Seven Para Powerlifting World Cups spread across four years join the world and regional Championships already announced, as well as Parapan and Asian Para Games.

The 2017 season will get underway in Khorfakkan, United Arab Emirates, between 20-23 February where powerlifters will take to the bench at the inaugural West Asian Para Games.

Shortly afterwards, the World cup circuit begins in Dubai, UAE, from 28 February – 4 March where athletes have broken many world records in the past.

Building on the legacy of Latin America’s first Paralympic Games at Rio 2016, young powerlifters will get their chance to shine on an international stage at the Sao Paulo 2017 Youth Parapan American Games between 20-25 March.

A further two World Cups in Montreal, Canada, and Eger, Hungary, follow in April and May 2017. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, hosts the ASEAN Para Games from 17-23 September, just before Mexico City stages the 2017 World Para Powerlifting Championships between 29 September – 6 October.

John Amos, Chairperson of the IPC Powerlifting Sport Technical Committee, said:

“Following a tremendous amount of effort and hard work done behind the scenes, coupled with some great collaboration with our National Paralympic Committees (NPCs), this is the first time that we have been in a position to confirm the competition calendar so many years in advance.

It presents athletes and teams an excellent opportunity to prepare and fine tune their training schedules and plan for qualification pathways much more effectively. IPC Powerlifting would like to thank all those NPCs and federations who have worked with us to this point and contributed to this success by applying to host, and sign off, events.

“We are starting to generate a greater geographical spread of competitions, especially across those regions where we have seen huge development and growth in recent years in addition to an increasing number of competitions in places where the sport is still developing.

“We hope that everyone takes the opportunity to compete as well as using the events as a chance to further develop their national programmes.

“At the high performance end, there are plenty of opportunities for powerlifters to increase their rankings for the next Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.”

As the build-up to the next Paralympic Games at Tokyo 2020 hots up, the 2018 season features another packed calendar with regional Championships in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Another World Cup in Dubai opens proceedings between 1-6 February and the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games take place in Australia between 4-15 April. Around 250 athletes from 40 countries are then expected in Berck-sur-Mer, France, for the European Open between 25-30 May.

Kitakyushu, Japan, will provide the perfect curtain raiser for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, hosting 230 athletes from 35 countries for the Para Powerlifting Asian Open from 8-12 September.

Jakarta, Indonesia, will stage the 2018 Asian Para Games between 8-16 October, the penultimate event of the season. Round off proceedings is the Cartagena 2018 Para Powerlifting Americas Open Championships in Colombia between 5-8 December, with 150 lifters from 25 countries anticipated.

Dubai and Eger host the World Cups once again in the first half of 2019. The highlight of competition in the Americas will be the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games.

Another World Championships is expected to end the year, with the host city still to be confirmed.

A World Cup in Dubai provides athletes with their last chance to improve their place in the Paralympic rankings between 3-7 May 2020, ahead of the Tokyo Paralympics which get underway on 25 August.

Before the end of 2016, IPC Powerlifting will also publish the qualification pathway for 2017-2020.

The full competition calendar can be viewed at IPC Powerlifting’s website.