World Cup Day 3: Silver For GB’s Yule

Micky Yule added to Great Britain’s medal tally on day three of competition at the Manchester 2021 World Para Powerlifting World Cup, claiming the silver medal in the Men's up to 80kg category.

Yule’s successful second round lift of 180 kg was good enough for the silver medal after Ukraine’s Yurii Babynets missed his second and third round attempts of 181 kg and 186 kg, meaning the 42-year-old from Edinburgh secured the host nation’s sixth medal of the event.

Speaking afterwards, Yule said:

“To have the opportunity to lift back here in Manchester has been amazing.

“I missed that last lift, but I am pretty happy with that performance. It sets me up well for pushing forward to Dubai, which is the final qualifier to go to Tokyo, and that’s where all my energy and all my focus will be.

“I’m trying my hardest. It’s a crazy level at this top, top elite lifting. The weights are there to hit. I just need to hit them and I will do going forward. Attack into Dubai and I will get that plane ticket to Tokyo.

“It’s been a great event here. It’s been tough for all the organisers and officials to get this together and they have done a fantastic job.”

Nigeria’s dominance continued on day three with two further gold medals – taking their Manchester haul to eight - and a new world record.

Paulina Okpala took Nigeria’s seventh gold of the event with a lift of 120 kg in the women’s up to 73 kg category before Rio Paralympic champion Bose Omolayo broke her own world record to lift 142.5 kg in the women’s up to 79 kg category.

Omolayo registered 140 kg for the gold medal before a successful fourth attempt powerlift to beat her existing world record by 0.5 kg.

The final gold medals of the day went to Uzbekistan’s Farod Umirzakov in the up to 88 kg (195 kg) and Moldova’s Stefan Rosca in the up to 97 kg (194 kg)

RESULTS

Men’s up to 80 kg

Gold: Ahmad Razm Azar (Georgia) 190 kg

Silver: Micky Yule (Great Britain) 180 kg

Bronze: Yurii Babynets (Ukraine) 176 kg

Women’s up to 73 kg

Gold: Paulina Okpala (Nigeria) 120 kg

Women’s up to 79 kg

Gold: Bose Omolayo (Nigeria) 140 kg – new world record at 142.5 kg

Silver: Nataliia Oliinyk (Ukraine) 122 kg

Bronze: Maria Alcova Membrilla (Spain) 100 kg

Men’s up to 88 kg

Gold: Farod Umirzakov (Uzbekistan) 195 kg

Men’s up to 97 kg

Gold: Stefan Rosca (Moldova) 194 kg

Silver: Andrea Maria Quarto (Italy) 180 kg

Bronze: Denis Raiul (Moldova) 165 kg

The competition continues behind closed doors on Sunday 28 March with Great Britain’s Louise Sugden and Liam McGarry in action. You can watch every lift live on the British Weight Lifting Facebook page.

Don’t forget to share you pictures of yourself supporting the team using #StreamForTheTeam for your chance to win an awesome bundle of prizes including a Pulseroll massage ball and water bottle, and an online training session from a GB coach!