TheCable

Ronald Ezuruike won gold medal for Team Nigeria in the men’s 54kg powerlifting category of the ongoing Paralympic Games in Rio on Friday.

Ezuruike’s gold medal made it Nigeria’s second medal at the games, after Latifat Tijani had earlier won a silver medal in women’s powerlifting, narrowly falling short of gold.

Ezuruike shattered the previous Paralympic record by lifting 200kg to finish first ahead of 10 other finalists in this category.

China’s Jian Wang won silver with a lift of 170 kg with a 30kg difference behind the Nigerian gold medallist, while Greece’s Dimitros Bakochristos won bronze with 162kg.

On Saturday, Esther Oyema gave Nigeria its third medal of the games, winning silver in the women’s -55 kg event of the powerlifting competition.

She won with a lift of 127 kg in the nine-athlete event.

Her first attempt at 127 kg was a failed one, but she got it right in her second attempt, while her third, at 130 kg, was also unsuccessful.

Amalia Perez of Mexico was however successful, as her 130 kg lift earned her the gold medal, as well as new Paralympic and world records in the event.

Xiao Cuijuan of China finished third with a lift of 115 kg to win the bronze medal.