By Amaechi Agbo

Nigeria weightliers on Monday showed class and dominance as they won all the nine gold medals on display on Day 3 of the Weightlifting event at the on-going 2023 Africa Games in Ghana.

The 55kg and 59kg women categories and 67kg men category gold medals were won by Nigerians.

At the Africa Games, nine medals are won in each category of snatch, clean and jerk and total. The winner in snatch is awarded a gold medal, same in clean and jerk and total.

Three Nigerians, Adijat Olarinoye, Rafiatu Lawal and Edidiong Umoafia won all the nine gold medals on display yesterday at the University of Ghana, Legon.

Competing in the 55kg class, 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Adijat Olarinoye won gold in snatch with 80kg lift, won gold in clean and jerk with 105kg lift before picking the 3rd gold in total with 185kg lift.

On her part, 2022 Commonwealth Games gold winner, Rufiatu Lawal also claimed all the three gold medals in the 59kg class. She snatched 85kg, recorded 105kg in clean and jerk and also collected the gold medal in total with 190kg lift.

Making his debut in 67kg class, Edidiong Umoafia showed why he remained a dominant force in weightlifting in Africa and the world after he amassed all the gold medals in that category.

His quest to the historic triumph began with 135kg lift in snatch as well as 165kg in clean and jerk with a total of 300kg.

So far, Team Nigeria Weightlifting have won a total of 14 medals in Weightlifting event of the 13th Africa Games.

Recall that on Day 1 of the event, the duo of King Kalu and Favour Agboro won five medals; while Kalu won two bronze medals in 55kg men class, Agboro won two silver and a bronze in the 61kg class.