How the para powerlifting rankings work
Para powerlifting (the bench press, for athletes with impairments in their legs or hips) has no points table. The rankings are lists of the heaviest lifts: in each bodyweight category, athletes are ordered by the best weight they have lifted at a recognised competition.
WPPO keeps several separate lists:
| Ranking | Ordered by | Lists |
|---|---|---|
| Individual: best lift | The single heaviest good lift | World, regional and Paralympic |
| Individual: total lift | The total of the good lifts in a competition | World and regional |
| Team event | The team's score | World and regional |
| Mixed team event | The team's score | World and regional |
| Hybrid competitions | (not described) | World |
The Paralympic ranking (by best lift) is the one that matters for Paralympic places.
Which competitions count
Lifts must be made at WPPO recognised competitions, grouped in three tiers:
| Tier | Competitions |
|---|---|
| 1 | Paralympic Games; WPPO World Championships; WPPO regional championships |
| 2 (sanctioned) | WPPO World Cups; Asian Para Games; Parapan American Games; Commonwealth Games; Islamic Solidarity Games; World Abilitysport Games; sub-regional para games; youth para games |
| 3 (approved) | Other international competitions; national competitions; invitational competitions; hybrid competitions |
Ties
Individual: if two athletes have the same best (or total) lift, the one who lifted it first ranks higher: by calendar date, then by the earlier round, then by the earlier time of day (Central European Time).
Team and mixed team: the highest score in any phase decides; if tied, the team that scored it first; then the one that scored it in the earlier phase; then the team with more good lifts.
A worked example
Made up to show how the list works. In the men's 65 kg, an Indian lifter presses 190 kg at a WPPO World Cup in March. Another lifter presses 190 kg at the Asian Para Games in October. Both have a best lift of 190 kg; the Indian lifter ranks higher because they lifted it first.
Gaps in the rules
- Rule 30 does not say how long a lift stays on the rankings (for example 12 months, a season or a Paralympic cycle), nor whether lifts at tier 3 competitions count.
- The hybrid competition ranking is listed but not described.
Variations
| Ranking | Covered here |
|---|---|
| Best lift, total lift, team, mixed team | Yes |
| Station (Rookie, Next Gen, Elite, Legend) | No |