By Emily Goddard

Sherif Othman has smashed the men's under 59 kilograms powerlifting world record three times on his way to gold at the IPC Powerlifting World Cup in Dubai ©Getty ImagesTwo-time Paralympic champion Sherif Othman has smashed the men's under 59 kilograms powerlifting world record three times on his way to gold at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Powerlifting World Cup in Dubai.

Competing in the United Arab Emirates city in his first major international competition since moving up to the weight class from the under 54kg and under 56kg categories, the Egyptian world champion added a total 16kg to the previous world record set by Great Britain's Ali Jawad at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games last August.

Othman lifted 195kg with his first effort, 200kg in the second round and an astonishing 210kg - more than three and a half times his bodyweight - in the third.

Despite failing with a fourth round attempt at 215kg, he finished 40kg ahead of his nearest rival, Thailand's Narong Kasanun.

Othman was not the only Egyptian to taste success at the competition, with the dominant powerlifting nation securing 13 of the 20 titles on offer.

Among the country's other men's gold medallists were Mohamed Eldib, who added a kilogram to his own two-year-old world record with a lift of 241kg in the under 97kg class, Taha Abdelmagid in the under 54kg category, under 80kg star Metwaly Mathana and Hany Abdelhady in the under 88kg.

France's Souhad Ghazouani secured gold in the under 73kg weight class competition at the Powerlifting World Cup in Dubai ©Getty ImagesFrance's Souhad Ghazouani secured gold in the under 73kg weight class competition at the Powerlifting World Cup in Dubai ©Getty Images



The winning Egyptian women, meanwhile, included under 45kg athlete Zeinab Oteify, who lifted 97kg but fell just short of a world record with a failed 100kg attempt, Nawal Ramadan in the under 41kg class, Rehab Ahmed in the under 55kg, Randa Mahmoud in the under 86kg and Nadia Ali in the over 86kg.

Elsewhere, there were women's gold medals for Ukraine, thanks to Lidiia Soloviova's lift of 102kg in the under 50kg, Poland, with Kamila Malgotzata's 103kg effort in the under 61kg, and France, with a 130kg lift from Souhad Ghazouani in the under 73kg event.

Men's under 49kg athlete Omar Qarada ensured there was a gold for Jordan with a lift of 172kg, while Iraq's Rasool Mohsin lifted 205kg in the under 65kg, Azerbaijan's Huseynov Elshan lifted 235kg in the under 107kg and home athlete Ahmed Khamis Al Balooshi made 202kg in the over 107kg to top their respective podiums.

The next major event in the sport, the IPC Powerlifting Open Americas Championships, is set to get underway in Mexico City next month, taking place from April 26 to 29.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
August 2014: Nigeria celebrate powerlifting cleansweep at Glasgow 2014