13th African Games: Nigeria dominates weightlifting, wins nine gold medals

Nigerian weightlifters won nine gold medals on Day 3 of the weightlifting event at the ongoing African Games 2023 in Accra, Ghana.

The nine medals were won in each category of snatch, clean and jerk and total.

Adijat Olarinoye, Rafiatu Lawal and Edidiong Umoafia won nine gold medals at the University of Ghana, Legon.

Competing in the 55kg class, 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Olarinoye won gold in snatch with 80kg lift, won gold in clean and jerk with 105kg lift before picking the 3rd gold medal in total with 185kg lift.

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Umoafia, who was making her debut in the 67kg, showed why he remained a dominant force in weightlifting in Africa and the world after he amassed all the gold medals in that category.

Lawal also claimed all the three gold medals in the 59kg class. She snatched 85kg, recorded 105kg in clean and jerk and also collected the gold medal in total with 190kg lift.

So far, Nigerian weightlifters have won a total of 14 medals in weightlifting events of the 13th Africa Games.

Recall that on Day 1 of the event, the duo of King Kalu and Favour Agboro won five medals; while Kalu won two bronze medals in 55kg men class, Agboro won two silver and a bronze in the 61kg class.