Marketing Manchester was a key partner in the Para Powerlifting World Cup which took place in the city in March 2021. The event was staged at Wythenshawe Forum and was hosted in partnership with British Weightlifting, UK Sport and Manchester City Council and was one of the qualifying events for the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

The event came on the back of Manchester hosting a very successful World Para Powerlifting World Cup in February 2020, where British lifters claimed their first overall victory along with 12 medals.

The 2021 event was the first event of its kind to be held in the UK since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, giving much-needed competitive experience for the 13-strong Great Britain team including Rio 2016 silver medallist and former world record holder Ali Jawad, two-time Paralympic bronze medallist Zoe Newson, 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Louise Sugden and European champion Micky Yule.

Louise Sugden was one of Great Britain’s medallists on a dramatic final day of competition, setting a new British record.  Speaking afterwards, Sugden said:

“I have been able to train all the way through all the lockdowns.  We are lucky enough to have the elite sport exemption, so I have been able to train up in Loughborough for the past couple of months. Without that I don’t think I would have been able to lift anyway near as much as I have today. 

“It’s been a fantastic event again. Really enjoyed it last year. Really enjoyed it this year. I was apprehensive with all the Covid restrictions, but it has been really well-managed.”

Staff from British Weightlifting and Manchester City Council worked closely with public health authorities and Manchester City Council to stage the event, with a number of protocols in place to protect the health and safety of athletes and workforce involved.  This included the event hotel the Radisson Blu Manchester Airport which housed all 180 athletes and team staff within a strict event bubble.

Ashley Metcalfe, CEO of British Weightlifting said: “From our perspective it was a fantastic competition for our elite level athletes to consolidate their world ranking positions. It also provided a wonderful opportunity for our next generation of talented young lifters to showcase their future potential on home soil.”

Manchester’s partnership with British Weightlifting continues to grow with several new event opportunities currently being discussed for the future.