Bonnie Bunyau Gustin of Malaysia became back-to-back Paralympic champion in the men’s up-to-72 kg (lower body disability) bench press category of Para Powerlifting on Friday.

He also broke both his own world record (231 kg/509.26 pounds) and his Paralympic mark (228 kg) he set at Tokyo by registering a gold medal lift of 232 kg in the third round.

Hu Peng, of China, finished in second, whereas Donato Telesca, of Italy (214 kg), took the final podium spot at 213 kg.

While it was clear Bunyau Gustin was going to run away with the competition, the intense was for silver between Peng and Telesca.

After Peng comfortably made his second-round attempt of 212 kg, Telesca stepped up next to lift 213 kg to go ahead of Peng and temporarily put himself in the number two spot.

He succeeded in the attempt, but was originally awarded a no-lift due to an improper stop sequence — in this case not resting the bar at the chest long enough and removing it from the rack.

Telesca’s coach put in a challenge and the jury overturned the judges’ decision, leaving the Italian in second. Pen would lift 212 kg in the middle frame.

On the final lifts, Peng went first at 215kg and made it. Telesca went up to 215kg but was called for no-lift again, this one being upheld.

Bekzod Jamilov, of Uzbekistan, tried to involve himself in the medal hunt to the best of his ability. After failing his first-round attempt of 210 kg, he managed to get it back in the second round. He then called for 214 kg in the final round which by lifting successfully would have pushed Telesca off the podium.

It was not meant to be and the Uzbek finished in fourth.