Nigeria’s Para-Powerlifter Folashade Oluwafemiayo has won gold in the heavyweight event of the women’s para-powerlifting sport at the ongoing 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The highly decorated powerlifter broke the world record twice to claim gold in an event she dominated from the first lift.
She won the gold medal ahead of compatriot Rita Ferdinand who also broke the world record while settling for second place, with Australia’s Hani Watson taking bronze.
Oluwafemiayo is a two-time Paralympics gold medalist with victories at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics. She broke the Commonwealth record in her opening attempt in the +86kg category, lifting 186 kg to shoot into the lead.
She then rewrote the history books and etched her name as perhaps the best heavyweight para-powerlifter ever on her third attempt with a 175kg lift, the first ever para-athlete to achieve the lift.
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She won by a total of 134.8 points, the highest ever in the category to claim the first place and gold medal. It was the second gold medal won by Team Nigeria on the first full day of the Games, and both have been won by female athletes.
Ferdinand claimed silver medal with her world record in the +79kg category of the heavyweight class. She lifted 158kg to surpass the 154kg lift previously recorded by China’s Han Miayou to set a new world record and claim second place in the heavyweight category.
Nigeria has won two gold and three silver medals so far at the Games for a total of five medals, all on the first full day of the Commonwealth Games.
DAILYTRUST
