Lawal, Umoafia, Didih clinch record-breaking gold medals

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Team Nigeria’s sensational run at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games continued on Monday as Rafiatu Folashade Lawal produced a record-breaking display to win gold in the women’s 58kg weightlifting event, taking the country’s tally to six gold and four silver medals, with Edidiong Joseph Umoafia and Onome Omolola Didih also striking gold earlier in the day, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

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Lawal dominated from start to finish, opening with a 103kg snatch that gave her a nine-kilogramme lead over Canada’s Ann-Sophie Taschereau before sealing the title with a 126kg clean and jerk, completing a combined total of 229kg that set a new Commonwealth Games record.

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Taschereau claimed silver with a total of 215kg after a 121kg clean and jerk, while India’s Bindyarani Devi Sorokhaibam took bronze with an overall total of 199kg.

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Umoafia had earlier set the tone for Nigeria’s day, clinching gold in the men’s 71kg event with a combined lift of 319kg, a new Commonwealth Games record, after opening with a 147kg snatch and matching the field’s best with a 172kg clean and jerk. Samoa’s John Lautafi Tafi also matched Umoafia’s clean and jerk lift but had to settle for silver with a total of 314kg, while Ezekiel Moses of Nauru took bronze with 310kg.

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Didih followed with an equally dominant display to win gold in the women’s 53kg event, opening with a 93kg snatch that set a new Commonwealth and Games record, before completing her lift with a clean and jerk that secured a winning total of 206kg, another Games record. India’s Gyaneshwari Yadav took silver with 199kg, a total that also surpassed the previous Games record, while Canada’s Rebeka Groulx claimed bronze with 178kg.

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South Africa’s Johanni Taljaard finished fourth with 175kg, ahead of the Solomon Islands’ Jenly Tegu Wini (172kg), Singapore’s Jiin Linn Chua (168kg), England’s Noorin Gulam (167kg) and Malta’s Kim Camilleri Lagana (166kg), while Australia’s Brenna Mae Kean and Papua New Guinea’s Loa Dika Toua both failed to finish.

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Monday’s triple success extended what has become one of Nigeria’s most successful weightlifting campaigns in Commonwealth Games history, following Ruth Asuquo Nyong’s silver in the women’s 48kg event, while Favour Agboro came agonisingly close to a medal, finishing fourth in the men’s 65kg.

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The weightlifting haul now stands at three gold and one silver, adding to an equally impressive showing in para powerlifting, where Esther Nworgu, Folashade Oluwafemiayo and Riluwan Idris have all won gold, with Esther Oyema, Roland Ezuruike and Rita Ferdinand each claiming silver.

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The latest triumphs sparked fresh celebrations within the Nigerian camp, with the athletics programme now gathering momentum as Team Nigeria looks to build on what is already shaping up as one of its most successful outings at the Commonwealth Games.

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