China’s Zheng Feifei Sets World Record at Tbilisi World Cup Ahead of Paralympic Games
China's reigning world champion, Zheng Feifei, delivered a record-breaking performance at the Tbilisi World Cup, lifting 159 kg and setting a new world record. ⒸVakho Tsatsalashvili / WPPO
The final World Cup event before the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games lived up to its expectations with a series of thrilling and record-breaking performances.
A total of four world records were shattered during the event, with Jordan's Abdelkareem Khattab, China's Zheng Feifei, Nigeria's Folashade Oluwafemiayo, and Egypt's Rehab Ahmed all making history. Several regional records were also broken.
China dominated the medals table with nine golds over the six-day competition. Nigeria, Iran, and Jordan each secured two gold medals.
**Paris 2024 Preview**
The event provided a glimpse of the upcoming Paralympic Games, as elite athletes showcased their readiness. Jordan's star, Abdelkareem Khattab, set the stage for Paris 2024 by breaking the world record twice in the men’s -97kg category, lifting 256 kg and then 260 kg to claim gold. His fellow Jordanian, Omar Qarada, also performed impressively with a 176 kg lift.
Some athletes, like Malaysia’s Bonnie Bunyau Gustin, saved their best for Paris, lifting 200 kg in the men’s -72kg category, below his top form.
**Mark Swan and Other Highlights**
Great Britain’s Mark Swan won gold in the men’s -80kg with a lift of 217 kg. Egyptian legend Shreif Osman, who holds world records in the men’s up to 54kg and up to 59kg, finished fifth in the men’s up to 65 kg, which was won by China’s Zou Yi with a lift of 213 kg.
China also excelled in the men’s -80kg and -88kg categories, with Gu Xiaofei lifting 234 kg and Yan Panpan lifting 240 kg, respectively. Iran continued its dominance in the heavyweight categories with Aliakbar Gharibshahi (-107kg) and Ahmad Aminzadeh (+107kg) claiming gold.
In a surprising win, Iraq’s Mustafa Radhi lifted 206 kg to take gold in the men’s -59kg, surpassing Paralympic and world champion Qi Yongkai from China, along with world stars Herbert Aceituno of El Salvador and Egypt’s Mohamed Elmenyawy.
**Impressive Performances by Women**
The women’s competition was equally captivating, with top performances from Nigeria, China, and Egypt. Chinese athletes, including Paralympic champions Cui Zhe (-41kg), Guo Lingling (-45kg), and Tan Yujiao (-67kg), showcased their strength. Zheng Feifei enhanced her previous world record by lifting 159 kg in the women’s -86kg category. Other Chinese winners included Asian champions Deng Xuemei (+86kg) and Xiao Jinping (-50kg).
Nigeria's Folashade Oluwafemiayo continued her impressive form, breaking her own world record with a 165 kg lift in the women’s +86 kg category. Onyinyechi Mark, also from Nigeria, excelled in the women’s -61kg with a lift of 146 kg, while Uzbekistan’s Rukhshona Uktamova set a rookie world record with a 109 kg effort.
Egypt’s Rehab Ahmed secured gold in the women’s -55kg with a lift of 234 kg, surpassing her previous world record. Brazilian Mariana D'Andrea, the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic gold medalist, reaffirmed her dominance in the women’s -73kg with a 145 kg lift.
Chile triumphed in the mixed team event, Brazil won the women’s team event, and Cuba claimed victory in the men’s team event.
**Looking Ahead**
The Tbilisi 2024 World Cup marked the final major competition before the Paralympic Games in Paris, scheduled to begin in two months. The top eight ranked male and female athletes in each medal event on the World Para Powerlifting Paralympic Ranking List, which closed on June 26, 2024, will secure a qualification slot for the Games. NPCs can only name eight athletes per gender for the 10 medal events.