Where: ExCeL
When: Thursday 30th Aug – Wednesday 5th Sept 2012
Medal Events: 20
Athletes: 200 (120 men, 80 women)
With athletes from more than 100 countries now involved in international competition, Paralympic Powerlifting is one of the world’s fastest growing sports. The bench-press contest offers a tense and dramatic sporting spectacle, as athletes battle to lift more weight than their rivals.
The Basics
In Powerlifting, athletes must meet a minimum eligibility criteria based on their impairment. They are then grouped by bodyweight for competition, which means athletes with different impairments compete for the same medals. There are 10 different weight categories for men and women
Powerlifters must lower the bench-press bar to their chest, hold it motionless, and then press it upwards to arm’s length while keeping their elbows locked. Athletes are given three attempts, and the winner is the athlete who lifts the largest weight (measured in kilograms).
Paralympic Powerlifting - Past & Present
After its initial introduction to the Paralympic Games at Tokyo in 1964, when it was billed as Weightlifting, the sport now known as Powerlifting underwent a major transition, expanding to include athletes with cerebral palsy or spinal injuries, lower-limb amputees and ‘les autres’ (‘the other’ disability groups). Women made their Paralympic Powerlifting debut at Sydney 2000, and the sport has continued to grow at a rapid rate ever since.
For London 2012, the Powerlifting competition will be held at ExCeL, a multi-purpose events venue that will also host a number of other Paralympic and Olympic sports.
Jargon Buster
- Bench: The bench stands no more than 0.5m high and must be at least 0.61m wide.
- Commencement and completion: The start and end of each lift, indicated respectively by a downward or upward arm motion from the chief referee.
- Platform: The field of play, measuring at least 2.5m x 2.5m and no more than 4m x 4m.
Courtesy of http://www.london2012.com
No comments:
Post a Comment