What a day for Great Britain at the Irish Invitational Para Powerlifting Competition

Great Britain’s para powerlifting team delivered a series of outstanding performances at the Irish Invitational Para Powerlifting competition in Cork, Ireland, on 27 June 2026.

The four-athlete squad returned home with valuable international experience, two new British records and a number of impressive lifts across the competition.

Congratulations to every athlete who represented Great Britain on the platform.

British records fall in Cork

The highlight of the competition came through Josh Grist and Cassy Malyon, who both set new British records in their respective weight categories.

Josh Grist delivered an exceptional performance in the men's 49kg class, successfully lifting 155kg to establish a new British record.

Cassy Malyon matched that achievement in the women's 86kg+ category, producing a lift of 120kg and setting a new British record of her own.

These performances are a reflection of the hard work, commitment and progress being made across the para powerlifting pathway.

Strong performances across the team

Alongside the record-breaking lifts, Great Britain's athletes showed their potential on the international stage.

Men's 49kg

• Ethan Backhurst – 104kg

The competition was a particularly important occasion for Ethan Backhurst, who was making his international debut for Great Britain.

Women's 67kg

• Evelyn Thomas – 82kg

Every athlete represented Great Britain with pride and gained valuable experience in an international competition environment. The event formed part of their continued development along the performance pathway.

Performances like these demonstrate the strength of the pathway and the exciting talent emerging within the para powerlifting talent pathway.

Congratulations to Josh, Ethan, Evelyn and Cassy on their achievements in Cork.

Everyone at British Weight Lifting would also like to thank UK Sport and The National Lottery for their continued support of our para powerlifting programme.

The future is strong.