Para-powerlifting

Events & Disciplines

The men’s and women’s competitions are divided into 10 weight divisions, ranging from 49kg to over 107kg and 41kg to over 86kg, respectively.

Classification

Who is eligible for Para-powerlifting?
Athletes with a physical impairment are eligible to compete in Para-powerlifting at the Paralympic Games.

What are the classes?
For more information on eligible impairments and Para-powerlifting classes, read the Para-powerlifting Classification Information Sheet (updated Nov 2019).

How do I get classified?
Athletes can request a classification using the Get Involved and Get Classified registration form.

Classification Masterlist
Athletes who have been nationally or internationally classified as per the IPC’s Classification Rules or Paralympics Australia’s Classification Policy are automatically included in the Classification Masterlist for Para-powerlifting in Australia.

• Australian Para-powerlifting Classification Masterlist – June 2013 PDF
• Australian Para-powerlifting Classification Masterlist – June 2013 ZIP

Rules & Equipment

Discs
For discs to be approved for competition, World Para-powerlifting requires:

• All discs must weigh within 0.25% of their face value
• The size of the hole in the middle of each disc must be more than 52mm and less than 53mm
• Each disc must weigh 1.25kg, 2.5kg, 5kg, 10kg, 15kg, 20kg or 25kg
• For record purposes, lighter discs may be used to achieve a weight that is at least 500g more than the existing record
• Discs must conform to the following colour code –

• All discs must be clearly marked with their weight and loaded in descending weight order (i.e. the heaviest disc must be loaded first)
• The first (and heaviest) disc loaded on the bar must be loaded face-first; the remaining discs must be loaded face-out
• The diameter of the largest disc must not exceed 450mm

Collars
A collar weighing 2.5kg must be worn by all athletes during their lifts.

Bench
Athletes compete lying on a bench that is 2.1m long and 61cm wide. At its most narrow, towards the head, the bench is 30cm wide. The height of the bench varies from 45cm to 50cm.

Medal History

Contacts

We encourage those wishing to explore Para-powerlifting to contact their state federation in the first instance. The national federation link below provides information on the national high performance program leading to competing internationally and at the Paralympic Games.