PARIS, France — Venezuela’s powerlifting champion didn’t know when her hands would stop trembling after setting a Games record at the Paris Paralympics on Thursday.
“I’m out of words, I’m emotional,” Clara Sarahy Fuentes Monasterio said after bench-pressing 124 kilograms for the gold medal in the women's 50kg class.
It’s been a wild three years for the Paralympian since she lifted 97 for the 41kg bronze medal in Tokyo. Her body changed after giving birth to her son Liam last year.
“I feel much stronger now,” said Fuentes Monasterio, who credited her child as “my motivation.”
Fuentes Monasterio, who uses a wheelchair, said her muscle mass increased “a lot” after giving birth. She didn’t expect it would lead to a Paralympics record.
“My hands are still trembling. I don’t know when they will stop,” the 27-year-old lifter said after being feted by the small but raucous crowd at La Chapelle Arena.
The noisy spectators didn’t mind that Fuentes Monasterio didn’t attempt an even heavier load. Powerlifters have only three attempts. She failed her first at 120, but got it on her second try and immediately led the nine-women competition.
Every contender, with help from their coach, removes the bar from the racks and, at the referee’s command, lowers it to their chest before pushing it upwards until their arms are fully extended with their elbows locked. This is subject to any medical condition.
Contenders can have a variety of impairments including orthopedic disability, cerebral palsy, neurological disability, or paraplegia and tetraplegia. There are 10 weight categories for women and men.
Blasts of dramatic music build up every lift. There’s silence in the arena for the attempt then, depending on the judges' result, party beats or more subdued tunes.
China’s Xiao Jinping took the silver medal after her first lift of 119, and Britain’s Olivia Broome beamed after lifting 119 in the third round for the bronze. It was her second consecutive bronze in the category.
“It’s extra special because I’ve got all my family here,” Broome said. “They didn’t get to see this in Tokyo, so I wanted to show them a medal.”
Xiao wasn’t as happy with her medal in her first Paralympics.
“I wanted the gold,” she said.
Nigeria’s Bose Bejide successfully lifted 100, then jumped an extra 18 kilos in the third round to try and overtake Broome for the bronze. It was too much.
In any case, Broome, who lifted 114 in the second round, made sure of another podium finish by lifting an extra five kilos in the third.
“I did 12 kilograms more than (in) Tokyo, so it’s huge,” the British Paralympian said.
Loida Zabala Ollero of Spain, who finished last, cried tears of joy after lifting 75 in the third round.
In men’s competition, Mohamed Elmenyawy of Egypt won the 59kg class by posting 201 in the third round. China’s Qi Yongkai won silver with 200 and Iran’s Mohsen Bakhtiar claimed bronze with 197.
Later Thursday were the women's 55kg and men's 65kg finals.
