A total of 91 competitors from Argentina, Chile and Columbia, as well as hosts Brazil, have all sent teams to Ceará's capital for the last qualification opportunity for South American athletes as the compeition gets underway today at the University of Fortaleza.

The Brazilian team will feature three of the five athletes that represented Brail at London 2012, Marcia Menezes, Rodrigo Rosa and Josilene Alves Ferreira.

Menezes and Rosa finished sixth in their respective categories.

Alves did not perform as well in London 2012 and is hoping to make amends in Dubai.

"I want to lift more than 115kg, which is the current Brazilian record in my category [up to 86kg] and my best achievement," she said.

"I have been training well and I will do it."

Alves, 43, contracted polio at eight months old and now uses a wheelchair.

She began powerlifting in 2002 as a form of rehabilitation, but she took a shine to the sport and went on to become an elite athlete who has competed at Beijing 2008 - finishing in fifth place - and London 2012.

Dwarf Games gold medallist's Luciano Dantas, Lucas Tavares, Erinaldo Ferreira and Maria Rizonaide will also compete in the Championships hoping to book their place in Dubai next year



The four athletes who won gold at the 2013 World Dwarf Games, in the United States, will also don Brazil's colours and compete for a medal and a spot in Dubai.

In August, Luciano Dantas, Lucas Tavares, Erinaldo Ferreira and Maria Rizonaide each brought back a gold medal from the World Dwarf Games and will be hoping to carry that form into these Open Championships.

The Brazilian powerlifters will be evaluated by the Technical Commission during the competition and will have to meet certain goals for each category.

Those who achieve the goals will be invited for a training week in Uberlândia, in January, and then, if they meet the qualifications, they will participate in the Hungary Open, also in January, followed by the World Championship in April.

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