4th African Youth Games: Olarinoye Seals Golden Sweep as Nigeria’s Weightlifters Claim 11 Gold, 1 Silver in Luanda

Florence Olarinoye crowned Nigeria’s dominant weightlifting campaign at the 4th African Youth Games in Luanda with a superb three-gold-medal haul in the women’s 58kg category, taking Team Nigeria’s total to an outstanding 11 gold medals and one silver in the sport alone.

Olarinoye was flawless on the platform, powering her way to gold in all three lifts. She posted a confident 68kg in the snatch, followed by an impressive 83kg in the clean and jerk, before sealing her dominance with a combined total of 151kg to outclass the rest of the field.

Her performance capped a magnificent outing by Nigeria’s young weightlifters, who had earlier amassed eight gold medals and one silver through commanding displays by Favour Cornelius (44kg), Esther Chidalu Ezenwa (48kg) and Chinaza Cecilia Ezenwa (53kg). Together, the quartet underlined Nigeria’s growing supremacy in youth weightlifting on the continent.

President of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF), Dr Ibrahim Abdul Aladi, expressed delight at Olarinoye’s showing and the team’s overall medal haul, noting that the results, while remarkable, were not unexpected.

“I am overwhelmed by the performance of our athletes, but honestly, this is what we prepared for and what we expected,” Dr Aladi said. “Winning 11 gold medals and a silver shows the depth of talent we have and the quality of work being done.”

Dr Aladi also commended the National Sports Commission for providing the platform and opportunity for the lifters to compete at the continental level.

“We are grateful to the National Sports Commission for the support and exposure given to these athletes. It is crucial for their growth,” he added. “As a board, the NWF will continue to explore ways to develop our weightlifters, both young and senior, ensuring they compete clean and are always competition-ready.”

With their emphatic showing in Luanda, Team Nigeria’s weightlifters have not only delivered medals but also sent a strong signal of a bright and sustainable future for the sport in the country.