Nigerian weightlifter, Florence Olarinoye, bags 6 gold medals at African Championship
Story by Susan Mbamah
Nigeria’s weightlifting team continues to shine at the 2025 Africa Junior and Youth Weightlifting Championship in Accra, Ghana, with Florence Olarinoye securing an impressive six gold medals on Monday evening.
Competing in the 58kg female category, Olarinoye, a previous gold medalist at the 2023 National Youth Games (NYG) and silver medalist at the 2024 National Sports Festival (NSF), demonstrated her dominance. She lifted 71kg in snatch, 86kg in clean and jerk, and a combined 157kg total, earning three gold medals in the Junior event and three more in the Youth event.
Her outstanding performance brings Nigeria’s total medal count to eight gold and one silver. Earlier on Monday, Ezenwa Chinaza Cecilia had initiated the country’s medal run with two gold and one silver, with lifts of 63kg in snatch, 72kg in clean and jerk, and a 135kg total.
The medal presentation ceremony is scheduled for today at the Ga Mashie Hall, Trust Sports Emporium, Accra.
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This success follows the recent 2025 Elective Congress of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF), which saw Dr. Ibrahim Abdul Aladi re-elected as president for another four-year term. The team’s achievements highlight the renewed leadership and momentum within the federation.
The championship, which began on Friday, August 15, is set to conclude on Friday, August 22, 2025. With Olarinoye and Ezenwa leading the charge, Nigeria has firmly established its presence on the continental stage, with hopes for more podium finishes before the competition ends.
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