TEHRAN - Iran’s Aliakbar Gharibshahi claimed the title of the men’s 107 kg category at the 2025 World Para Powerlifting Championships.

Gharibshahi, the two-time world champion, displayed an incredible show of strength and determination to break his own world record of 254 kg (set in Dubai 2022) by one kilogram in the second round of men’s up to 107 kg final. He attempted to go further with 260 kg only to falter this time and save it for later.

“After Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, I trained a lot to set to raise the bar again. I came to Cairo 2025 with a new world record in my mind and wanted to set 260 kg but maybe next time,” said the 43-year-old Gharibshahi, who won the gold at Paris 2024 with a Paralympic record lift of 252 kg one year ago.

Tokyo 2020 champion Sodnompiljee Enkhbayar settled for the silver at 243 kg.

It was a special day for USA’s Bobby Body, the 2023 Parapan American Games champion, as he embarked into the pathway of LA 2028 with his first ever World Championship medal – the bronze medal.

Athletes from 70 nations have begun the quest for medals and LA28 qualification as Egypt hosts the first edition of the Para Powerlifting Worlds.

Iran’s Roohollah Rostami (men’s up to 88kg), Amir Jafari (men’s up to 72kg) and Mohsen Bakhtiar (men’s up to 65kg) had previously won three silver medals in the competition earlier.