Irish Team Set for Tbilisi 2026 European Open Championships

Six Irish athletes are preparing to compete at the World Para Powerlifting European Open Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, which take place from 6–11 March 2026.

The competition will see 196 athletes from 27 nations contest 20 medal events across the week, making it one of the key events on the international Para powerlifting calendar this year. The championships also form part of the qualification pathway towards the LA 2028 Paralympic Games.

Ireland will be represented by Casey Fitzgerald, Michael O’Cearra, Sean Hughes, Niamh Buckley, Ruairí Devlin and Britney Arendse, supported by a four-person staff team.

Among the Irish squad is Britney Arendse, who represented Ireland at both the Tokyo and Paris Paralympic Games. Arendse will compete in the women’s up to 86kg category, where she is set to face strong international competition including Tokyo Paralympic bronze medallist Louise Sugden of Great Britain.

Three members of the Irish team, Sean Hughes, Casey Fitzgerald and Niamh Buckley, are currently part of the Paralympics Ireland Deloitte Aspire Programme, which supports emerging athletes with the potential to progress along Ireland’s high performance pathway.

Competition for the Irish athletes begins on Sunday 8 March, with events continuing through to Monday 9 March.

Tbilisi has become a familiar host for major Para powerlifting competitions, previously staging the 2021 World Championships, the 2022 European Open Championships, and multiple World Cup events. The 2026 edition is the first of four regional championships taking place globally this year,

TEAM IRELAND:

Casey Fitzgerald – Up to 73kg (8 March)

Niamh Buckley – Up to 61kg (8 March)

Ruairí Devlin – Up to 88kg (8 March)

Michael O’Cearra – Up to 80kg (9 March)

Sean Hughes – Up to 97kg (9 March)

Britney Arendse – Up to 86kg (9 March)