RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — It's been quite a couple of weeks for Ahmed Shafik, the lone U.S. powerlifter at the Rio Paralympics.
His wife delivered the couple's second son early, shortly before the games began last Wednesday, and Shafik, an Iraqi immigrant, competed in his second — and he says final — Paralympics.
Despite a seventh-place finish in the 80-kilogram (176-pound) weight class on Monday, lifting 172 kilograms (379 pounds), Rio was a satisfying end to a long journey for Shafik.
"It was overwhelming for me because everybody was watching me and expecting good results and it's a big weight on my back to be the only lifter from the United States," Shafik said.