Dubai 2023: Guo Lingling and Bonnie Bunyau Gustin set new records

Dubai: Paralympic stars China’s Guo Lingling and Bonnie Bunyau Gustin of Malaysia produced record-breaking performances during the second day of the Elite competitions at the Dubai 2023 World Para Powerlifting Championships at the Hilton Dubai — Al Habtoor city.

Tokyo 2020 champions Lingling of China and Malaysia’s Bunyau Gustin yet again showed why they are among the strongest powerlifters in the world as they bettered their own world worlds en route winning gold medals in their respective events.

Trained hard for the show

Lingling, the reigning Asian Para Games champion and three-time world champion at Mexico 2017, Nursultan 2019 and Tbilisi 2021, bettered her own world record twice — which she had set in Nursultan 2019 at 118kg — with her final list of 120kg to take the gold in women’s up to 41kg.

“I am very happy and proud to break the world record and take the gold in Dubai. I have trained hard for this,” said Lingling, who was followed by Tokyo 2020 medallist Clara Fuentes Monasterio of Venezuela (105kg) and Turkey’s Nazmiye Muratli (104kg).

However, Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Indonesian Ni Nengah Widiasih (98kg) ended fifth.

Before the Chinese record-breaking show Gustin started the day with an amazing display of power and grit. The Malaysian bettered his own world record set in Dubai 2021 World Cup at 230kg, as he successfully lifted one kilogram above to set the new mark of 231kg in men’s up to 72kg.

Chasing my dreams

“I like it here in Dubai and today I am very happy to get my second world record here. It’s a motivation to work hard and come up with improved performance. I look to improve every time and that helps me chasing my dreams.”

“My next target is to break the world record in Asian Para Games.”

Later, Lingling’s compatriot Xuemei Deng joined her on the top of the podium with a gold medal in women’s over 86kg. Deng finished with 150kg in her second attempt, six kgs above Egypt’s Ali Nadia (144kg) and Poland’s Zeba Marzena (137kg).

Elite competitions

This was Deng’s third medal in Dubai, and she said: “I like it here in Dubai as it is my third medal and first World Championships gold here. My next goal to to break the world record in Paris 2024 Paralympics”.

After two days of Elite competitions, China led the medals table with seven medals including five gold, one silver and a bronze followed by Great Britain and Malaysia with two gold each.