For the First Time Abroad Panasonic Provided Its Power Assist Suit to the Para Powerlifting International Competition Held in Manchester

Panasonic Corporation provided its Power Assist Suits to the para powerlifting international competition, "Manchester 2020 Para Powerlifting World Cup" held from February 20 to 23, 2020 at Manchester, United Kingdom to help lighten the load of spotter/loader personnel working to support the competition. This is the first time*1 Panasonic provided its Power Assist Suits*2 to an international para powerlifting competition held outside of Japan.
*1: According to Panasonic research.
*2: Paralympic limited category (Excluding United States of America)

Under the auspices of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the World Para Powerlifting (WPPO) is organizing several competitions from January to April 2020, which will serve as preliminaries for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. The World Cup held in Manchester is one of the several preliminaries, and the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic rankings, which will be determined based on the competition results, will be an important decision making factor when making the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic athlete selection. 105 athletes from 25 countries and regions took part in this top caliber international championship.

Para powerlifting is a bench press competition for athletes with impairments in their lower limbs or hips, and there are 10 different classes for men and women based on weight. Athletes each get 3 attempts during the competition. The plates used at the official competitions range from 10 to 50 kgs, and they were taken on and off the bar more than 300 times at the competition in Manchester. When the upper body Power Assist Suit Panasonic provided sensed the wearer's motion, the motors kicked in to help their muscles. They helped mitigate the burden on the back when moving the heavy plates off from near the floor to waist level and back.

Panasonic has provided the Power Assist Suits to championships held in Japan, such as the Kitakyushu 2018 World Para Powerlifting Asia-Oceania Open Championships and the Tokyo 2019 World Para Powerlifting World Cup. Their contribution was recognized and that is why for the first time they have been provided to a competition abroad. Panasonic signed a partnership agreement in September 2019 to become WPPO's Official Supplier, and the Power Assist Suits will also be provided to the para powerlifting competitions at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

As a Worldwide Paralympic Partner, Panasonic will provide state-of-the-art technologies and solutions included within its sponsorship category to not only contribute to the success of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, but also to help support and enliven the Paralympic Movement in Japan and across the globe.

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