Egypt Takes The Lead At IPC World Powerlifting Championships

 ...As World, Paralympic Champions Are Dethroned                         

*Ijeoma celebrates gold

 At the end of day five, three countries have three gold medals apiece but it is Egypt who lead the standings with nine gongs overall (three golds, four silver and two bronze), closely followed by China and Nigeria.

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. It was  Jordanian world record holder Mutaz Zakria Aljuneidi and Nigerian Ijeoma Iherobiem who beat two reigning Paralympic champions to claim world titles on Wednesday (9 April) at the 2014 IPC Powerlifting World Championships in Dubai, UAE. Reports say Ijeoma Iherobiem took an early lead with a first lift of 119kg and strengthened her position further in the second round lifting a new African record of 124kg. Despite failing with her third lift of 127kg, the 35-year-old still had enough to secure gold ahead of Egypt’s Amany Ali (121kg) in silver and Russia’s Vera Muratov’s (120kg) in bronze.