Nigeria’s weightlifting sensation Rafiatu Folashade Lawal, won three silver medals in the women’s 58kg category at the 2025 IWF World Championships in Førde, Norway, www.aclsports.com reports.
Competing on Saturday, October 4, the 28-year-old lifted 101kg in the Snatch and 128kg in the Clean & Jerk, for a total of 229kg, which earned her three silver medals and secured Nigeria’s spot on the medal table.
With her strong and composed performance, Lawal became the first Nigerian athlete to win three silver medals at a single World Championship, further highlighting her status as one of Africa’s finest lifters on the global stage.
In the Snatch, Kim Il-Gyong of North Korea claimed gold with a lift of 104kg, while the Nigerian lifted 101kg for silver, and Miranda Eleanor Ulrey of the United States took bronze at 98kg.
She maintained her dominance in the Clean & Jerk, lifting 132kg to edge the Nigerian and Kuo Hsing-Chun of Chinese Taipei, who both recorded 128kg, with the North Korean winning on bodyweight advantage.
Kim completed a clean sweep in the Total, finishing with 236kg, ahead of Lawal’s 229kg, and Kuo’s 224kg for third place.
Now ranked World No. 2 in her category, Lawal, a multiple African champion and 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, continues to strengthen her legacy in global weightlifting.
