By Victor Kanayo
Two Nigerian athletes – Lawal Rafiatu and Olarinoye Adenike Adijat on Monday, May 15, 2023, kicked off the battle for the 2024 Olympic Games qualification with hauling of medals in grand style.
Medals In Different Colours
Competing in the 59kg women category, Rafiatu won three gold medals in Snatch, Clean and Jerk while Adijat claimed all the three silver medals in the same category at the ongoing 2023 Senior Africa Weightlifting Championship in Tunisia.
Rafiatu, 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medal winner in the category, lifted 95kilos in snatch, 122kilos in Clean & Jerk and 217kilos in total to win all the three gold medals in the category
Olarinoye, 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medal winner in 55kg, claimed all the three silver medals with a lift of 93kilos in snatch, 118kilos in Clean & Jerk and 211kilos in total, as she continued her impressive performances in the new category.
Olarinoye moved from 55kg in late 2022 to 59kg.
In her first competition in the new category at the 2022 National Sports Festival (NSF), she won three silver medals.
Two Tunisians and a Moroccan shared the three bronze medals.
Expectations Abound
Nigeria will continue her quest for more medals in Tunis on Tuesday, May 16, as two lifters will be on stage as well.
The athletes – Joy Eze, (71kg women) and Edidiong Umofia (73kh men) will compete.
Nigeria’s 5th athlete, Akano Desmond (89kg men) will round off Nigeria’s participation in the championship on Wednesday, May 17.
Nigeria weightlifters will take part in six Championship qualifiers as they seek to return Nigeria to global weightlifting map in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.
The 2023 Africa Weightlifting Championship which commenced on May 11 will end on Friday May 19.
