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Searching for para-powerlifting stars of the future

Following on from the success of the Golden Chance female athlete programme launched in January, British Weight Lifting is extending its talent search initiative to find para-powerlifting stars of the future.

The Golden Chance para-powerlifting series aims to not only increase participation in the sport, but to also identify talented athletes for inclusion on British Weight Lifting’s talent confirmation programme, with the ultimate objective of discovering para-powerlifting athletes to represent Great Britain at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Stage 1 – Golden Chance Powerlifting Training Days

The first stage in the programme is a series of Para Powerlifting training days; British Weight Lifting will be running three Golden Chance Powerlifting Training Days in August which will introduce potential athletes to the sport, provide resources and training programmes to interested individuals and helping to find a nearby gym or facility where athletes can train regularly.

  • Central - Wednesday 12 August – Loughborough University, Leicestershire
  • North - Thursday 13 August – Life Leisure Houldsworth Viilage, Stockport
  • London - Friday 14 August – St. Mary’s University, Twickenham

 

Stage 2 – Coaching Clinics

All athletes who attend the Golden Chance Powerlifting Training Days will be invited to join the Participation Programme. This will comprise a series of weekly coaching clinics in targeted locations across the country.

The training sessions will be focused towards developing the athletes’ technical and physical abilities and will cover key training principles and the technical model, whilst working towards preparation for the UK Para-Bench Open on October 3rd.

Athletes’ technical and physical development will be monitored and assessed throughout before selection is made for talent confirmation in October.

Talent Confirmation

Athletes who have shown significant potential at one of the Golden Chance Powerlifting Training Days will be selected for talent confirmation, an accelerated programme based at British Weight Lifting’s High Performance Centre in Loughborough.

Here athletes will be assigned a British Weight Lifting coach who will be responsible for programming and overseeing the individual’s personalised development programme. Technical and physical abilities will be measured objectively and regular feedback will be provided in order to achieve agreed targets.

Athletes selected for the talent confirmation programme will have access to British Weight Lifting’s performance services, which include strength and conditioning, nutrition, physiotherapy, psychology, performance lifestyle and biomechanics support.

The programme will comprise a series of tasks, challenges and experiences designed to provide athletes with insight into what it takes to compete at the sport’s highest level and to aid British Weight Lifting coaches in determining who is most suited for selection onto the World Class Programme. On successful completion of the talent confirmation programme, athletes have the potential to be selected on the WCP, which is aimed at supporting the development of athletes who are on a trajectory of medal winning potential at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Stage 3 – UK Para-Bench Open - 3rd October) – Life Leisure, Stockport

The final stage of the Golden Chance Paralympic Series is the UK Para-Bench Open competition on 03 October. This will provide participants with their first exposure to a para-powerlifting competition, supported by British Weight Lifting staff. All athletes will also undergo national classification, which highlights their potential to be IPC internationally classified and compete internationally.

Commenting on the new initiative, Dan Wagner, British Weight Lifting talent pathway manager, said: “It’s evident from the progression that the girls on the Golden Chance programme have made that the initiative is not only a great way of discovering talent but also, developing the athletes to a level whereby they are already able to produce competitive performances - even those who are new to the sport.

“By extending the Golden Chance initiative to para-powerlifting, we hope to encourage more individuals to try the sport for the first time and in doing so, engage with British Weight Lifting and local clubs to develop their interest and talent further. The resource and planning that goes into the programme will undoubtedly give athletes the best chance of developing their technical and physical abilities and we’re excited to see what talent we can uncover over the coming months.”

 

Athlete specification

To attend a Golden Chance Powerlifting Training Day you must be aged 14 years old or over.

Physical impairments that qualify athletes to compete in para powerlifting include but are not limited to; cerebral palsy, strokes or trauma, spinal injuries, polio, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida amputation(s), congenital deficiency, nerve damage and short stature.

For more information on Powerlifting classification eligibility please follow this link - http://www.paralympic.org/powerlifting/classification

Sign up now

To register for one of the three Golden Chance Powerlifting Training Days in August, please contact Dan Wagner using the details below and state which date you would like to attend:

Dan Wagner

Talent Pathway Manager, British Weight Lifting

E: dan.wagner@britishweightlifting.org

T: 07872 350427