Le Van Cong reacts after lifting 170kg at the World Para Powerlifting Championships' men's 49kg class in Tbilisi, Georgia. (Photo courtesy of World Para Powerlifting Federation) Cong was in the men’s 49kg category on Sunday against 26 other competitors. Hefaced world-leading athletes such as Paralympic champion Omar Qarada of Jordan,Paralympic bronze medal holder Parvin Mammadov of Azerbaijan and formerParalympic silver medallist Vladimir Balynets of Russia.
The top two spots of the event were a repeat of August's Tokyo Paralympicsbetween Cong and Qarada.
The event was packed with drama and it took three and a half hours ofcompetition before the title was decided in the final lift.
With a lift of 170kg, 2017 world champion Cong entered the final round in thetop position to pile the pressure onto the reigning Paralympic champion,Jordan’s Omar Qarada.
Qarada summoned all of his strength to press 174kg to win the gold - 11 yearsafter he first won his first title.
“Sometimes I have pain, I have many things, so when I got that gold medaleverything came to fruition,” Qarada told paralympic.org.
“I now want to prepare myself for Paris 2024.”
It was a momentous moment for Parmjeet Kumar whose 158kg bronze medal liftentered the history books as India’s first-ever senior medal at a WorldChampionship.
“I feel very proud,” said Kumar who added 12kg on to his lifetime best to winthe bronze.
Iraq’s Musin Al-Sudani also wrote his name into the history books with a newjunior world record of 155kg, bettering his record set less than 24 hourspreviously in the Junior Worlds to finish in fourth place.
In his fifth time at the world championship, Cong failed to defend his titlebut the Vietnamese athlete was still happy with the result.
"My shoulder injury was worse after the Tokyo Paralympics," Cong toldViet Nam News, adding that he has been taking painkillers in the run-up to theevent.
"Doctors said my ligament has been torn 75 percent and I need to havesurgery as soon as possible.
"However, this world championship is one of the most important events thatathletes must take part in to earn points to qualify for the 2014 ParisParalympics so I could not miss it.
"Although I couldn't defend my title and the result is not as good asbefore, I am still happy because I did not target medal at all. And a silvershows my hard work and efforts have paid off. I felt really sore in everysingle lift."
It is Cong's third-world silver. He also has one gold and two records under hisbelt from previous events.
Cong is currently the best Vietnam's athlete with disabilities. He is the worldand Paralympic record holder with lifts of 183.5kg and 183kg, respectively.
The world silver result puts Cong in a strong position to qualify for the ParisOlympics. To ensure qualification he needs to compete in at least oneinternational tournament each year for the next three years.
Two other Vietnamese athletes will compete next. Dang Thi Linh Phuong will takepart in the women's 50kg class while Nguyen Binh An will participate in men's54kg pool.
The world championship continues until December 5 with athletes from 72countries and territories./.
VNA
