# Australian Paralympic Powerlifting Team

Australia has been represented in weightlifting / powerlifting at every Games between 1964 and 2024, with the exception of the 2016 and 2020 games. Australian athletes have won a medal at every Games except 1984, 2012 and 2024. Paralympic powerlifting has been competed at every Summer Paralympics since 1984. Weightlifting had been on the Paralympic program since 1964, however after the 1992 Games the International Paralympic Committee made the decision to drop weightlifting and hold powerlifting events only.
Notable Australian athletes include:
* Vic Renalson, has won 3 gold medals and 1 silver medal in weightlifting events. He also won 2 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals in athletics events.
* Brian McNicholl, has won 1 gold medal, 1 silver medal and 2 bronze medals in weightlifting and powerlifting events.
* Darren Gardiner, has won 2 silver medals.

## Medal table

| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1964 Tokyo | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 1968 Tel Aviv | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1972 Heidelberg | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1976 Toronto | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1980 Arnhem | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 1984 Stoke Mandeville | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 Seoul | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1992 Barcelona | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996 Atlanta | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2000 Sydney* | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2004 Athens | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2008 Beijing | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 London | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 London | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals (14 entries) | 4 | 8 | 5 | 17 |

## Summer Paralympic Games

Australian representatives in weightlifting and powerlifting:

### 1964

Australia represented by:
Men – Michael Dow, Gary Hooper, Vic Renalson
Australia won three silver medals.
| Medal | Name | Event |
| Silver | Michael Dow | Men's Featherweight |
| Silver | Gary Hooper | Men's Lightweight |
| Silver | Vic Renalson | Men's Heavyweight |

### 1968

Australia represented by:
Men – Gary Hooper, Vic Renalson
| Medal | Name | Event |
| Gold | Vic Renalson | Men's Heavyweight |

### 1972

Australia represented by:
Men – Dennis Kay, Terry Mason, Vic Renalson
| Medal | Name | Event |
| Gold | Vic Renalson | Men's heavyweight |

### 1976

Australia represented by:
Men – Terry Mason, Vic Renalson
| Medal | Name | Event |
| Gold | Vic Renalson | Men's middleweight |
| Bronze | Terry Mason | Men's light featherweight |

### 1980

Australia represented by:
Men – Barry Kalms, Brian McNicholl, John Sheil
| Medal | Name | Event |
| Bronze | Barry Kalms | Men's lightweight −65 kg amputee |
| Bronze | Brian McNicholl | Men's middleweight −75 kg paraplegic |

### 1984

Australia represented by:
Men – Brian McNicholl
Australia did not win any medals. Brian McNicholl came 4th in his event.

### 1988

Australia represented in powerlifting by:
Men – Michael Farrell, Matthew Pobje
Australia represented in weightlifting by:
Men – Ray Epstein, Brian McNicholl, Arnie Money, Paul O'Brien, Col Richards
| Medal | Name | Event |
| Silver | Matthew Pobje | Men's 100 kg |
| Bronze | Michael Farrell | Men's 100 kg |
| Bronze | Brian McNicholl | Men's 85 kg |

### 1992

Australia represented by:
Men – Ray Epstein, Steve Green, Brian McNicholl
| Medal | Name | Event |
| Gold | Brian McNicholl | Men's 90 kg |

### 1996

Australia represented in powerlifting by:
Men – Willem Bos, Michael Farrell, Brian McNicholl, Richard Nicholson Coach – Blagoi Blagoev
| Medal | Name | Event |
| Silver | Brian McNicholl | Men's Up To 90 kg |

### 2000

Australia represented in powerlifting by:
Men – Shaun Cavuoto, Darren Gardiner, Steve Green, Paul Hyde, Richard Nicholson, Kahi Puru, Wayne Sharpe Women – Deahnne McIntyre, Julie Russell, Vicky Machen, Kim Neuenkirchen, Melissa Trafela, Sue Twelftree Coaches – Blagoi Blagoev (Head), Ray Epstein
| Medal | Name | Event |
| Silver | Richard Nicholson | Men's 60 kg |

### 2004

Australia represented in powerlifting:
Men – Darren Gardiner, Steve Green, Wayne Sharpe Women – Deahnne McIntyre
Coaches – Martin Leach (Coach), Michael Farrell
| Medal | Name | Event |
| Silver | Men's +100 kg |
Gardiner originally finished third but was awarded the silver medal after Habibollah Mousavi gold medallist in +100 kg was disqualified after a positive doping test.

### 2008

Representing Australia in powerlifting:
Men – Darren Gardiner, Abebe Fekadu Women – Deahnne McIntyre Coaches – Ray Epstein (Head Coach), Bill Nancarrow
| Medal | Name | Event |
| Silver | Darren Gardiner | Men's 100 +kg |

### 2012

Selected team of 2 athletes.
Men – Darren Gardiner and Abebe Fekadu.
Coaches – Ray Epstein (Head)
Darren Gardiner, a previous Games medallist competed at his fourth Games and Fekadu, a refugee from Ethiopia at his second Games. Australia did not win any medals.

### 2016

No athletes selected.

### 2020

No athletes selected.

### 2024

Selected team of 2 athletes: Men – Ben Wright (powerlifter)
Women - Hani Watson
Coach – Simon Bergner (Head)
Australia did not win any medals.