Bold Horizons: Paralympic Pathways

2026-2028 National Team Selection

Para Powerlifting

Preamble

As Para Powerlifting continues to evolve in Canada, Canada Powerlifting (CanPL) recognizes the need for a clear and transparent selection process for athletes aspiring to join the National Team.

While this policy will be implemented for the 2026 season, it will undergo review in the fall and in the lead-up to the 2027 season to adapt to any changes. CanPL will strive for consistency in the selection process but must remain flexible to accommodate potential adjustments from international organizations like the World Para Powerlifting Organisation (WPPO) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Vision Statement

To establish Canada as a leading force in Para Powerlifting, cultivating a diverse and inclusive community of athletes who are provided with the opportunity to excel at the highest levels of national and international competition, including the Paralympic Games.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to develop and support a sustainable community and competition stream of Para Powerlifting across Canada by providing equitable opportunities, clear classification guidelines, and comprehensive resources. We are committed to recruiting and nurturing athletes from diverse regions and backgrounds, developing coaching and officiating resources, and broadening the reach of and access to strength sports at both the recreational and elite levels. By fostering involvement at all points of entry into the sport and collaborating with and supporting provincial organizations, we aim to expand our athlete base and build a fair, competitive environment that aspires to medal success at the Paralympic level.

Guiding Principles for a Fair Para Powerlifting National Team Selection Process

1. Equitable Access to National and Regional Competitions:

• Ensure the availability of national and regional competitions within Canada that are accessible to para powerlifters, using WPPO weight classes and maintaining Para Powerlifting Records accordingly.

• Develop clear guidelines on how athletes can participate and be ranked.

• Develop avenues for regular classification events and participation.

2. Committed Athlete Recruitment and Development:

• Create clear criteria to identify and recruit committed athletes, focusing on those who show potential and dedication to compete at a high level. Provide pathways for their development through structured training and support.

• Provide Coaching development to enable those athletes recruited to have excellent support at all levels of participation throughout the long-term athlete development (LTAD) process.

3. Fair National Ranking System:

• Develop a Para Powerlifting national ranking system that rewards participation in accessible events and reflects athletes' performances fairly.

4. Adaptive and Evolving Process:

• Acknowledge that Para Powerlifting in Canada is developing and evolving. To this end, our processes and policies must be adaptable.

• Annual review of the processes for team selection as well as the Paralympic Pathway for CanPL Para Powerlifters will be conducted, along with updates to the process where necessary.

• Communication of changes to athletes, coaches, and stakeholders.

5. Inclusivity and Regional Representation:

• Ensure that the selection process allows for broad regional representation while maintaining a focus on selecting the best athletes for national and international competition.

• Balance inclusivity with the need to form a high-performance national team.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for selection to the National Team, athletes must meet and maintain all requirements as follows:

• Hold a valid CanPL General Registrant Membership.

• Be the correct age to participate in the relevant Competition, as defined in the Competition information package and/or qualification regulations by end of calendar year.

• Be internationally classified and have been assigned a Sport Class (other than Not Eligible (NE)) in accordance with the WPPO Classification Rules and Regulations or be in a position to achieve classification at the event for which they are nominated.

• Hold a valid WPPO Athlete Licence issued in accordance with the WPPO Athlete Registration and Licensing Regulations by the time of the final entry deadline for any event applied for.

• Hold a valid Canadian Passport, expiring no earlier than 6 months prior to the date of the event(s) attending (if applicable)

• Sign and abide by the CanPL National Team Athlete Agreement (a condition of National Team acceptance).

• Fulfil the Training Environment Reporting requirements (a condition of National Team acceptance).

• Abide by all CanPL Rules & Policies, including, but not limited to, Safe Sport policies, the Code of Conduct, and the Anti-Doping Policy.

• Have completed the CSSP Safe Sport Module and Signed the CSSP Safe Sport Contract

• Act in accordance with other national and international policies (SIC, CADP, WADA, etc.)

• Participate in all meetings (in person or virtual) set by the National Team program leadership. All reasonable attempts to accommodate schedule variations will be made and alternate meeting times can be arranged if needed.

• Not be disqualified, suspended or otherwise sanctioned.

• Satisfy the nationality requirements of the IPC Athlete Nationality Regulations (located on the IPC website (Nationality Regulations)

Quotas

• Up to 3 athletes per gender per weight class will be invited on the National Team

• Quotas to International Competitions will differ from the National Team quotas, so not all athletes on the team will necessarily be invited to participate in any particular International Competition

• For the 2026-2028 seasons, International Competition Selection will be allocated by ranking into the National Team Program. A further refinement of this procedure is underway and will be released in 2027 for 2029.

Application Process

• For 2026, Para-Athletes must submit their nomination for consideration by April 30 of the competition year, using the provided CanPL Application Form (posted by February 1 of the competition year)

• For 2027 and onwards, Para-Athletes must submit their nomination for consideration by March 31 of the competition year, using the provided CanPL Application Form (posted by February 1 of the competition year)

• Vacancies can be filled after consideration of all applications received by the deadline

National Ranking System and Selection Process

For ranking athletes in Para Powerlifting, the Coefficient Formula will be used to assess rankings and comparative analysis.

As Para Powerlifting is in a growth phase, a more complex assessment mechanism is not yet needed. As the sport grows, this will be re-evaluated and modified to consider the fact that not all competitions are created equally. World level events can encompass greater travel requirements, more stringent officiating, and generally additional stresses. Competitions with multiple athletes where jockeying for medals occurs are significantly different than those in which the athlete is without competition. Therefore, in the future, a mechanism for

weighing the competitions by difficulty and adjusting scores for each will be incorporated.

Competition Requirements

2026 National Team to WPPO events

This team will be selected based on the best Coefficient Formula total achieved in ONE meet and may be achieved through any of the following meets:

• Any official WPPO recognized event

• CanPL Nationals 2026

• CanPL Western Regional Championships 2026

• CanPL Eastern Regional Championships 2026

• CanPL Central Regional Championships 2026

• Any CanPL event run by one of the CanPL Provincial Associations in 2025 or 2026.

2027 National Team to WPPO events

This team will be selected based on the best Coefficient Formula total achieved in TWO meets and may be achieved through any of the following meets, where ONE meet MUST be a CanPL Regional or National Championships:

• Any official WPPO recognized event

• CanPL Nationals 2026 or 2027

• CanPL Western Regional Championships 2026

• CanPL Eastern Regional Championships 2026

• CanPL Central Regional Championships 2026

• Any CanPL event run by one of the CanPL Provincial Associations

2028 and onwards National Team to WPPO events

This team will be selected based on the best Coefficient Formula total achieved in TWO meets and may be achieved through any of the following meets in the last 24 months, where ONE meet MUST be a CanPL Regional or National Championships:

• Any official WPPO recognized event

• CanPL Nationals

• CanPL Western Regional Championships

• CanPL Eastern Regional Championships

• CanPL Central Regional Championships

Los Angeles 2028 Requirements and Pathway

National Team members wishing to compete in LA28 must meet the following WPPO requirements. Please note that these are the requirements of the WPPO over which CanPL has no authority. Any requests for exceptions, exemptions or bipartite nominations are at the discretion of the WPPO and the support of these is at the discretion of the CPC. Full details of this list of requirements can be found on the WPPO website.

Mandatory Requirements (all of the following are required by the WPPO  for nomination to LA2028)

2025

• It is mandatory that athletes compete in the 2025 Junior or Senior World Para Powerlifting Championships.

2026

• It is mandatory that athletes compete in the 2026 Para Powerlifting Parapan American Open Championships.

Note: In the event that an athlete is unable to compete in their respective 2026 World Para Powerlifting Regional Open Championships, in order to complete the mandatory requirements of the World Para Powerlifting Qualification Pathway 2025-2028, that athlete’s NPC must provide a written explanation and request advance permission in writing from World Para Powerlifting for the athlete to compete in at least one of the other 2026 World Para Powerlifting Regional Open Championships instead.

Acceptance or refusal of such a request will be entirely at World Para Powerlifting’s discretion.

2027

• It is mandatory that athletes compete in the 2027 Junior or Senior World Para Powerlifting Championships.

2028

• It is mandatory that athletes compete in at least two (2) World Para Powerlifting Sanctioned competitions in the year 2028 (prior to 1 July 2028):

o 2028 Para Powerlifting Parapan American Open Championships;

o in any other 2028 WPPO Regional Open Championships or a WPPO World Cup.

Appendix 3 –WPPO 2025-2028 Qualification Pathway_v1

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Note: In the event that an athlete is unable to compete in their respective 2028 World Para Powerlifting Regional Open Championships, in order to complete the mandatory requirements of the World Para Powerlifting Qualification Pathway 2025-2028, that athlete’s NPC must provide a written explanation and request advance permission in writing from World Para Powerlifting for the athlete to compete in at least one of the other 2028 World Para Powerlifting Regional Open Championships instead. Acceptance or refusal of such a request will be entirely at World Para Powerlifting’s discretion.

‘New’ Status Athletes

Any ‘New’ athletes (those who have not undergone international classification) must be classified and allocated a Sport Class, in accordance with the World Para Powerlifting Classification Rules and Regulations, prior to 21 December 2026 to be considered for inclusion in the Paralympic Rankings and eligible for a qualification slot. Once ‘New’ athletes have been classified and have been assigned a Sport Class they must complete all the remaining mandatory requirements, as set out above.