Mateus de Assis Silva

Mateus de Assis Silva
Personal information
Born (1997-05-25) May 25, 1997
Sport
Country Brazil
SportPara powerlifting
DisabilityMyelomeningocele
Weight class
Up to 107 kg
Medal record
Representing  Brazil
Men's para powerlifting
Parapan American Games
Silver medal – second place2023 Santiago107 kg
Bronze medal – third place2017 Lima107 kg
Junior World Championships
Silver medal – second place2017 Mexico City97 kg
Youth Parapan American Games
Gold medal – first place2013 Buenos Aires97 kg
Gold medal – first place2017 Sao Paulo97 kg

Mateus de Assis Silva (born 25 May 1997) is a Brazilian para powerlifter. He has impairments in his lower limbs due to myelomeningocele. He represented Brazil at the 2024 Summer Paralympics. He has won a silver and a bronze at the Parapan American Games and two golds at the Youth Parapan American Games.

Early and personal life

Mateus de Assis Silva was born on 25 May 1997 in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais. He has impairments in his lower limbs as a result of myelomeningocele.[1]

Prior to taking up powerlifting, Silva participated in swimming on a recreational basis. In 2012, a physical education teacher introduced him to the Núcleo de Paradesporto in Uberlândia, where he was encouraged to try para powerlifting.[1][2] Silva identifies as LGBTQ.[3]

Career

Silva began representing Brazil in international para powerlifting competitions in 2013. He won a gold medal in the Youth Parapan American Games held at Buenos Aires,[1][4] and a bronze medal in the South American Para Games in Santiago.[4] He competed at the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto, where he finished fourth in his weight category.[4][5] He won gold at the 2017 Youth Parapan American Games in São Paulo and claimed a silver medal at the 2017 Junior World Championships in Mexico City.[1][4] During the same year, he made his senior World Championships debut and finished ninth in the men's up to 97 kg event.[1][5][6]

In 2018, Silva won the gold medal in the up to 107 kg category at the Regional Norte-Nordeste stage of the Circuito Loterias Caixa and improved his personal best lift to 195 kg. He later attempted 207 kg, which would have surpassed the Brazilian adult record, but was unsuccessful.[7]

At the 2019 Parapan American Games in Lima, Silva won the bronze medal in the men's up to 107 kg event.[1][8] He later represented Brazil at the 2019 World Para Powerlifting Championships in Nur-Sultan, finishing tenth in his category.[6] In 2023, he won the silver medal in the men's up to 107 kg event at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago.[1][4] He represented Brazil at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris. Competing in the men's up to 107 kg event, he lifted 212 kg and finished fifth in the final.[6][9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Mateus de Assis". Brazilian Paralympic Committee (in Portuguese). Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  2. ↑ "Pupilo do halterofilismo, Mateus de Assis é o caçula na rota paralímpica" [Powerlifting protégé Mateus de Assis is the youngest athlete on the Paralympic path]. Globo (in Portuguese). 2 February 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  3. ↑ "Team LGBTQ at the 2024 Paris Summer Paralympics". Outsports. Archived from the original on 3 January 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Mateus de Assis Silva". Open Powerlifting. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Berck-Sur-Mer 2018: Mateus de Assis dreams big". International Paralympic Committee. 23 May 2018. Archived from the original on 14 November 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 "Mateus de Assis Silva". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  7. ↑ "Medalhista mundial e fã de Britney Spears bate marca pessoal no halterofilismo" [World medallist and Britney Spears fan sets personal best in powerlifting]. Brazilian Paralympic Committee (in Portuguese). 25 March 2018. Archived from the original on 17 October 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "Results, Men's upto 107 kg, 2019 Parapan American Games". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 11 September 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  9. ↑ "Men's up to 107 kg, 2024 Summer Paralympics". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 10 May 2026. Retrieved 25 June 2026.