Nigeria’s weightlifting star Rafiatu Folashade Lawal, led Team Nigeria’s charge at the ongoing Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, winning three gold medals in the women’s 58kg weightlifting event, www.aclsports.com reports.
The 28-year-old, who recently won three silver medals at the World Championships, secured Nigeria’s first gold medal of the Games with a 98kg Snatch, before lifting 122kg in the Clean & Jerk for another gold and rounding off with 220kg overall to achieve a remarkable clean sweep. She outperformed Nigora Abdullaeva of Uzbekistan (214kg) and Noura Essam of Egypt (189kg).
In the men’s 71kg division, Edidiong Joseph delivered a strong performance, earning a gold, silver, and bronze medal. He struck gold in the Snatch with a 151kg lift, claimed bronze in the Clean & Jerk after lifting 175kg, and his combined 326kg total secured the overall silver medal. The top spot went to Yusuf Fehmi Genc of Turkey, who finished with a 336kg total.
Ruth Imoleayo Ayodele further boosted Nigeria’s medal count in the women’s 63kg category, picking up one silver and two bronze medals. She lifted 95kg in the Snatch to take bronze, added 117kg in the Clean & Jerk for silver, and finished with a 212kg total to claim overall bronze, narrowly behind Enkileda Carja of Albania (213kg) and Turkey’s Aysel Ozkan, who emerged champion.
