Weightlifting: Debutant Ruth Ayodele Wins Surprised Three Medals For Nigeria At IWF Tourney

Nigerian weightlifter Ruth Ayodele on Sunday won three medals in the women’s 64kg category at the recently concluded IWF World Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

She won two silver medals and a bronze medal by lifting 100kg in the free kick, 122kg in the free kick and a total of 222kg.

Ruth Ayodele from Nigeria, making her debut at the age of 23, then delayed the medal ceremony because nobody could find her.

Eventually, she made her way down from the seats to the right of the platform, where she had watched the action, to declare: “That was so exciting – I never thought I would win a medal.”

Asked why Ayodele had been such a late starter, Nigeria’s head coach Ojadi Aduche said: “She was in the team some years ago, then things happened in her life and she took a break from the sport.

“She is very strong and I recalled her to the team recently.”

This was the second impressive performance of the week by a Nigerian, after Rafiatu Lawal’s big jump up the rankings at 59kg, and there could be more to come from Joy Eze at 71kg, Aduche said.

Meanwhile, Colombia’s Mosquera Llamosa won three gold medals by lifting 101 kg in the clear race, 122 kg in the clear and jerk and 223 kg overall, while Korea’s Minkyung Park won a silver medal and two bronze medals in the women’s 64 kg category.

In the women’s 59kg, 2022 Commonwealth gold medalist Rafiatu Lawal finished sixth position lifting 100kg in the Snatch event, 125kg in the Clean and Jerk as well and 225kg in the Total, while Adijat Olarinoye placed 15th position with a lift of 95kg in the Snatch event, 120kg in the Clean and Jerk as well as 215kg in the Total. Far below their best

Edidiong Umoafia with a lift of 140kg in the Snatch event, 170kg in the Clean and Jerk as well as 310kg in the Total finished in the 18th position in the men’s 73kg category.