Cairo 2025: Nigeria’s Ferdinard surprises Paralympic champion Han on thrilling day 1
Nigeria’s Rita Ferdinard made a dream debut, clinching the women’s up to 79 kg gold, while Paris 2024 Paralympic medallists Clara Fuentes Monasterio of Venezuela and China's Xiaofei Gu grabbed world titles on the opening day of Elite competitions at the Cairo 2025 World Para Powerlifting Championships.
Thrilling contests marked the opening day of the Elite competitions, with Paralympic stars returning to achieve glory one year since their Paris 2024 feats. The Cairo 2025 Worlds marked the beginning of the qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics.
A total of 70 National Paralympic Committees are being represented by 537 athletes — 311 men and 226 women in Cairo, the first time the event is being held in Africa.
Author's summary: Ferdinard wins gold on Cairo 2025 debut.