SAN FRANCISCO, September 11, (THEWILL) – Team Nigeria in the ongoing Rio 2016 Paralympics Games has added another medal, to make a fifth as the Team Captain, Lucy Ejike, won a gold medal in the women’s 61kg powerlifting event.
With Ejike’s medal, Nigeria now has three gold medals at the ongoing Games as Roland Ezuruike and Paul Kehinde had won gold in their respective categories in the Powerlifting event while Latifat Tijani and Esther Onyema won Silver medals.
Ejike got the gold medal in grand style as she shattered the Paralympic and World Record three successive times to dominate the event.
Ejike began with a successful attempt at 136.0kg, which was a new Paralympic Record (PR) and World Record (WR). She then went on to set a superior mark of 138.0kg at her next attempt, before culminating with a massive lift of 142.0kg.
Coming behind Ejike for the Silver medal was Egypt’s Fatma Omar who finished in 2nd place with her lift of 140kg while China’s Yan Yang won the Bronze medal with a lift of 128kg.
Story by David Oputah.
