Team Nigeria’s weightlifters have been at their imperial best at the ongoing African Games in Ghana. Nigeria was fourth on the medals table at the weekend before the lifters took centre stage on Monday and yesterday, weighing in with 15 gold medals to raise the country’s haul to 22 gold medals.
The weightlifting events are holding at the University of Ghana, Legon, where the trio of Adijat Olarinoye (55kg), Rafiatu Lawal (59kg), and Edidiong Umoafia (67kg) had a clean sweep in the snatch, clean and jerk in their respective weight categories on Monday.
Yesterday at the same venue, Ruth Ayodele and Joy Eze won three gold medals each in their 64kg and 71kg classes respectively.
Ayodele won gold in snatch, as well as clean and jerk, lifted 94kg in snatch, 144kg in clean and jerk and a total of 208kg to claim all the three gold medals at stake.
Eze was also exceptional in her 71kg category as she won all the three gold medals on display. She snatched 90kg, had 117kg in clean and jerk and a total of 207.
The six gold medals have made it a total of 15 gold medals won by the weightlifters in Accra.
So far, Nigeria has won a total of 20 medals in the weightlifting event, comprising 15 gold, two silver and three bronze.
Wrestling and badminton had given Team Nigeria seven gold medals before weightlifting added nine on the third day of the competition.
Egypt occupies the first spot with 47 gold, 19 silver and 18 bronze medals, while Nigeria is second with 22 gold, 10 silver and 15 bronze medals, with Algeria and South Africa third and fourth with 15 gold, 20 silver, 20 bronze medals and 12 gold, 15 silver and 22 bronze medals respectively.
