Dubai: Veteran Mohammad Khamis Khalaf ended the UAE’s wait for a gold medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympics when he aced the men’s 88kg powerlifting competition.
The Emirati strongman lifted 220 kilograms in the bench press, the only discipline in Paralympic powerlifting, as Brazil’s Evanio da Silva took the silver with a lift of 210kg. Mongolia’s Sodnompiljee Enkhbayar also lifted 210kg but was awarded the bronze following a tie at the RioCentro Pavilion.
Powerlifter Mohammed Khalaf takes Gold at Rio! The pride of the UAE, his determination and spirit inspires us all pic.twitter.com/7rnbtcrWcZ— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) September 13, 2016
Khalaf also won the gold at the 2004 Athens Games in the 82.5kg category and is the only Emirati lifter to have claimed the honour.
Strongly fancied Ye Jixiong of China and Iran’s Seyedhamed Solhipouravanji of Iran failed in their three attempts at the weight.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, took to social media to congratule Khalaf and tweeted “I’m proud of Mohammad Khamis Khalaf for his gold medal victory at the Rio 2016 Paralympics. His gold medal win in weightlifting is a message to all our athletes that the only real disability is weak determination and willpower.”
Ye of China holds the world record in the category with a lift of 230kg, which he achieved in 2015.
The bench press competition is open to any athlete with a minimum level of disability who can extend their arms within 20 degrees of full extension during a lift. Powerlifting has been a part of the Paralympics since 1984.
Abdullah Sultan Al Aryani had already bagged two silver medals for the UAE in the R7 men’s 50-metre rifle SH1 competition and the R1 10m air rifle standing SH1.
Previous UAE medalists in Paralympic Games are Naseib Obaid Sebait Araidat (400m T52, Sydney 2000), Humaid Hassan Murad Eisa (Javeline F52, Sydney 2000), Mana Abdullah Sulaiman (Shot put F32, Athens 2004), Ahmad Saif Zaal Abu Muhair (200m T36, Sydney 2000), Ali Qambar Ali Ansari (400m T37, 2004 Athens) and Mohammad Bin Dabbas (Discus F33-24, Athens 2004).
Meanwhile, Algeria’s Abdul Latif Baka broke the 1500m Paralympic world record upsetting Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz.
Baka produced a dramatic performance in the hotly-contested T13 1,500m final late on Monday night to set a new mark. It is also the fastest 1,500m time recorded by an able-bodied or disabled athlete in Rio over both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Earlier, athletes from Great Britain won three gold medals and set two world records.
Georgie Hermitage added the 400m gold to her 100m title as she cruised to a new world mark of 1.00.43 seconds in the T37 category.
Team-mate Hollie Arnold won the F46 javelin gold, also setting a 43.01m world record on her final throw.
