The Nigerian weightlifters have been on a roll at the ongoing 2023 Africa Games in Accra, Ghana. On Day 4 of their Weightlifting event, two Nigerian lifters, Ruth Ayodele and Joy Eze, earned six more gold medals, continuing their dominance in the competition. Ruth Ayodele, making her debut in the Africa Games, won three gold medals in the 64kg category, while Joy Eze won three gold medals in the 71kg category.
Ruth Ayodele showed her mettle by winning gold in snatch as well as in clean and jerk, lifting 94kg and 144kg respectively. With a total lift of 208kg, she claimed all three gold medals at stake in her category. On the other hand, Joy Eze moved up to a new weight category, and her performance was exceptional in the 71kg category. She snatched 90kg, had 117kg in clean and jerk, and a total lift of 207kg, which earned her three gold medals.
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The six gold medals won by Ruth Ayodele and Joy Eze bring the total number of gold medals won by Nigerian weightlifters at the Games to 15. It is worth noting that Adijat Olarinoye, (55kg), Rafiatu Lawal (59kg), and Edidiong Umoafia (67kg) also won nine gold medals for Nigeria in their respective classes on Monday.
Nigeria has so far won 20 medals in weightlifting, with 15 gold, two silver, and three bronze medals. It is no surprise that the Technical Director of the Weightlifting Federation, Christopher Nwadei, is confident that the athletes will surpass their previous record. The Weightlifting event is taking place at the University of Ghana, Accra, and will end on Friday.
