Bose Omolayo’s Gold Takes Nigeria To 24th On Paralympics Medals’ Table

A gold medal for Bose Omolayo in the early hours of Sunday took Nigeria to 24th place on the medals’ table of the ongoing Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, megasportsarena.com reports.

Team Nigeria’s haul improved to two gold and same number of bronze medals, after Omolayo set a new games record while competing in the women’s -79kg lifted 141kg to claim the event’s gold medal.

Omolayo’s feat also means all four of Team Nigeria’s medals have come from powerlifting, while also joining Latifat Tijani as the only two that have won gold for the country so far at the Games, which will come to a close next Sunday.

Omolayo’s best lift of 141 kg on Sunday was good enough to win a gold medal for Nigeria in the women’s powerlifting -79kg in the ongoing 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.

The 32-year-old Omolayo, who In 2014 won silver in the women’s 61kg event at the Commonwealth Games, recorded the best lift of 141 kg to take the first position in her category.

Nataliia Oliinyk from Ukraine placed second with a lift of 133 kg, while Vera Muratova from Russian Federation lifted 132 Kg to win bronze to take.

Omolayo’s amazing technique of lifting left the spectators in awe and they gave her a standing ovation, as the Rio 2016 gold medallist and silver medallist from Mexico City 2017 World Championship beat top-favourite Oleinik (133 kg) to silver.

Before her achievement on Sunday, Olaitan Ibrahim and Lucy Ejike both garnered bronze medals, there taking Nigeria to 24th on the medals’ table, with China top and followed by Great Britain.