Lawal, Olarinoye excel as Nigeria wins six medals at Africa Senior Weightlifting Championship

Nigerian weightlifters were in excellent form at the ongoing African Senior Weightlifting Championship in Cairo. Two of the lifters, Rafiatu Folashade Lawal and Adijat Adenike Olarinoye, began the day on a glorious note, winning six medals.

Competing in the 59kg women’s category, Lawal and Adijat dominated the category as they took the top prizes on day one of the Championship, which also serves as the Paris 2024 Olympics qualifier.

Lawal, the gold medal winner in Tunisia last year, established her superiority in the category as she once again claimed all the available three gold medals.

She won the first gold with a lift of 95kg in snatch, and claimed another gold in clean and jerk with 119kg before winning her third gold medal in total with 214kg.

Adijat on her part, followed suit on her previous year’s outing as she claimed, once again, all three silver medals with 94kg in snatch, 115kg in clean and jerk and 209kg in total.

Edidiong Umoafia Joseph was in action as he sought to consolidate Nigeria’s quest for more medals and a place in the Paris Olympics in July. He is competing in the 73kg men’s category in which he won a silver and two bronze medals at the Tunisia 2023 edition despite competing with injury
Nigeria’s participation in the championship will be rounded off today when Joy Eze Ogbonne competes in the 71kg women’s category.