Bonnie Bunyau Gustin | |
Birth Name: | Bonnie Bunyau anak Gustin |
Birth Date: | 3 June 1999 |
Birth Place: | Serian, Sarawak, Malaysia[1] |
Nickname: | Bonnie |
Height: | 132 cm |
Sport: | Para powerlifting |
Disability: | Short stature |
Country: | Malaysia |
Coach: | Jamil Adam |
Show-Medals: | yes |
Bonnie Bunyau anak Gustin (born 3 June 1999) is a Malaysian powerlifter. He won Malaysia's first ever gold medal in the sport in the men's 72 kg event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo and again at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris whilst breaking his own world record for men's 72 kg.
Bonnie hails from Serian as well as Betong divisions, Sarawak and he is of mixed Bidayuh-Iban ancestry, two main Bumiputera native ethnic groups to the Malaysian state of Sarawak.[2] His father, Gustin Jenang competed in Para powerlifting at the 2010 World Championships in Kuala Lumpur. while his older brother, Bryan Junancey Gustin has also participated in the sport at international level. Bonnie took up the sport at age 15.[3]
He competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games where he came 4th in the lightweight event. In 2020 Tokyo Paralympics Games, Bonnie was chosen as the Malaysian flag bearer at the opening ceremony.[4] He then set a new Paralympic record of 228 kg and earned Malaysia's first gold medal of the Paralympics Games in powerlifting.[5] A few months later, he won the gold medal in his event at the 2021 World Para Powerlifting Championships held in Tbilisi, Georgia.[6] [7] He also set a new world record of 230 kg in the men's 72 kg event at the 2021 World Para Powerlifting World Cup in Dubai.[8] In 2022, he won the gold in the Men's Lightweight powerlifting event at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.[9] During the 2024 Paralympic Games held in Paris, he was once again chosen as the Malaysian contingent flag bearer at the opening ceremony.[10] At the men's 72kg powerlifting event that was held on 6th September, he broke his own Paralympic record of 228kg and his own world record of 231kg by successfully lifting 232kg which earned him a second consecutive gold medal for himself as well as for Malaysia in the games.[11]