By Gary Anderson

April 8 - Fatma Omar of Egypt came out on top of the battle with fellow London 2012 champion Amalia Perez of Mexico ©Getty Images Records continued to tumble on day four of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Powerlifting World Championships in Dubai as Egyptian Fatma Omar came out on top in a battle with fellow London 2012 gold medallist Amalia Perez of Mexico.

Due to changes in weight categories made in 2013, Omar - the under 56 kilogram champion from London 2012 - was pitched against Perez, the under 60kg gold medallist in the women's under 61kg category.

Four-time Paralympic gold medallist Omar laid down the gauntlet to her rival straight away, posting an impressive 130kg with her first attempt and the Mexican struggled to come anywhere near that mark in the first two rounds, as she looked to be struggling for form following a lay-off with a shoulder injury.

Perez eventually mustered a lift of 128kg with her third effort, good enough to secure a silver medal ahead of China's Yan Yang.

Omar, meanwhile, took to the stage knowing that the world title was in the bag and then proceeded to add 3.5kg to her world record by lifting an impressive 135.5kg.

The junior title went to Russia's 19-year-old Irina Galitcyna with a European record of 70kg.

Nigerian Esther Oyema dominated in the women's under 55kg, first equalling her 120kg world record before going on to break it twice with lifts of 123kg and then 125kg.

China's Shanshan Shi finished in silver with an effort of 115kg, while Russia's Anastasia Khonina's lift of 109kg took bronze.

The junior title went to 19-year-old Italian Martina Barbierato.

The final women's event of the day saw yet another world record tumble, this time in the under 67kg category.

Yujiao Tan of China set a new world mark with her second lift as she posted 132.5kg, more than enough to secure the crown ahead of Egyptian Amal Mahmoud, who finished second with an effort of 116kg, while bronze went to Russian Kheda Berieva who set a European record with 115kg.

Nigerian Esther Oyema was the dominant force in the under 55kg category taking the world title and setting a world record ©Getty Images Nigerian Esther Oyema was the dominant force in the under 55kg category taking the world title and setting a world record ©Getty Images



The only men's competition on day four saw a second gold medal for China as Xiao Fei Gu came out on top of a ding-dong battle with Egypt's Metwaly Mathana in the under 80kg class.

Mathana looked the more likely to claim the world crown after posting an impressive first two lifts, breaking Gu's world record by 2kg with his second effort of 232kg.

Spurred on by losing his record, the Chinese lifter went straight out and added four kilogrammes to the bar and took back his world mark - along with the title - after Mathana failed with his final attempt of 237kg.

Poland's first medal of the Championships came in the form of Latus Wawrzyniec, who took bronze with a European record of 197kg.

The impressive Julian Avom Mbume of France secured the junior title with a world record 160kg lift.

Tomorrow sees the men's under 88kg and women's 73kg and 79kg categories up for decision as competition at the Dubai Club for the Disabled is due to last until Friday (April 11).

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