China's Wu Maoshan, Bian Jianxin and Fu Taoying are expected to dominate in the Men's 67.5 kilogram weight class, Women's 60kg and Women's 67.5kg categories, respectively, as the Powerlifting events continue at the BUAA Gymnasium on Saturday, September 13.
Men's 67.5kg - Group A
Wu Maoshun of China will be seeking to go one better on Saturday, September 13, and grab a gold medal after winning silver in the 82.5kg category at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games and at the 2006 World Championships in Busan, Republic of Korea. He claimed gold in the 2003 World Wheelchair Games in Christchurch, New Zealand, and at the 2002 FESPIC Games in Busan. He also took gold on home soil at the 2007 National Games in Kunming, China.
Gkremislav Moysiadis of Greece will also be seeking to go one better after ranking fourth in the 60kg category at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games. He won a gold medal in the 67.5kg category at the 2007 Regional Games on his home turf in Kavala, and gold at the 2003 Regional Games in Slovakia.
Mariappan Perumal of Malaysia, who celebrated his 50th birthday in February, ranked fifth in this category at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games and won bronze at the Barcelona 1992 and Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games. He was crowned in 2008 at Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, and in 2005 and 2003 in Manila and Hanoi respectively.
Andy Wise of the United States won a gold medal at the 2007 IPC American Championships and at the 2006 and 2004 National Championships in Edmond and Burbank.
Luis Perea of Cuba won a silver medal at the 2007 Para Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Women's 60kg - Group A
Bian Jianxin of China is the woman to watch in this category. She won the gold medal in the 60kg category at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, adding to the medals she won as world champion in 2006, 2002 and 1998. She also took the crown at the World Wheelchair and Amputee Games in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2003, and Melbourne, Australia in 1994, and won four gold medals at the FESPIC Games, in 2006, 2002, 1999 and 1994.
Women's 67.50kg - Group A
Defending her gold medals from the Athens 2004 and Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, Fu Taoying of China will be sure to have the local fans in a frenzy as they cheer her on to make a hat-trick of Paralympic gold medals. Fu also snatched gold at the 2006 and 2002 World Championships, and bronze at the 1998 World Championships. Her previous hat-trick of golds was gleaned from the FESPIC Games, in 2006, 2002 and 1999. She also won silver at the 2007 European Championships and Gold at the 2007 National Games in Kunming, China.
Rasha Alsikh of Syria comes to Beijing in pursuit of her first Paralympic medal after ranking fourth at the Sydney 2004 Paralympic Games, winning silver at the 2007 Regional Games in Rio de Janeiro and bronze at the 2006 World Championships in Busan, Korea.
Also looking for her first Paralympic medal will be Anastasia Kazantzidou of Greece, who ranked sixth at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games. Born in 1954, she won a gold medal on home turf in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 2007, gold at the 2003 Regional Games and Bronze and silver in the same competition in 2001 and 2003 respectively.
Other medal contenders are Ivanka Koleva of Bulgaria, Amoge Victoria Nneji of Negeria, and Larisa Marinencov of Moldova.
(BOCOG September 11, 2008)