Team Nigeria Roars In Glasgow As Weightlifters Sweep 3 Golds On Day 4

Team Nigeria produced another outstanding performance at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on Monday, winning three gold medals in weightlifting and securing multiple semi-final places in the men’s and women’s 100 metres as its medal campaign gathered pace.

The weightlifting team provided the biggest highlight of Day Four, with Edidiong Joseph Umoafia, Onome Didih and Rafiatu Folashade Lawal all claiming gold and setting new Commonwealth Games records in their respective events.

Umoafia struck first in the men’s 71kg category, lifting a combined 319kg to secure Nigeria’s fourth gold medal of the Games.

The Nigerian produced a Games-record 147kg in the snatch before adding 172kg in the clean and jerk to finish ahead of Samoa’s Joseph Tafi, who lifted 314kg, and Nauru’s Elgin Moses, who recorded 310kg.

Didih then delivered another record-breaking display in the women’s 53kg event, securing Nigeria’s fifth gold medal.

She dominated the competition, setting new Commonwealth Games records in the snatch with 93kg, clean and jerk with 113kg and total lift with 206kg.

India’s Gyaneshwari Yadav took silver with 199kg, while Canada’s Rebeka Groulx settled for bronze after recording 178kg.

Lawal completed Nigeria’s golden sweep in spectacular fashion in the women’s 58kg category, producing another record-breaking performance to claim the country’s sixth gold medal of the Games.

Lawal set new Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth records in all three lifts, recording 103kg in the snatch, 126kg in the clean and jerk and a combined total of 229kg.

Her total gave her a commanding 14kg advantage over Canada’s Ann-Sophie Taschereau, who finished with 215kg to take silver.

The National Sports Commission’s incentive package also came into effect, with each Nigerian gold medallist receiving an immediate $5,000 cash reward, alongside a further $5,000 performance bonus paid into their accounts.

Nigeria’s athletics team also made significant progress on the track, with the country securing multiple semi-final berths in both the men’s and women’s 100m.

Favour Ashe won his opening men’s 100m heat in 10.10 seconds, with a +1.5m/s wind, to qualify for Tuesday’s semi-finals.

Nicholas Fakorede also progressed after finishing second in Heat 10 in 10.21 seconds (+1.4m/s), behind Lesotho’s Mojela Koneshe, whose winning time of 10.07 seconds set a new national record.

Fakorede will join Ashe and national record holder Kayinsola Ajayi, who received a bye, in the semi-finals.

In the women’s 100m, 17-year-old Commonwealth Games debutant Miracle Ezechukwu announced herself impressively by winning her heat from lane eight in 11.32 seconds (-1.5m/s).

She finished ahead of Barbados’ Kishawna Niles and Ghana’s Deborah Acheampong to secure automatic qualification for the semi-finals.

Ezechukwu will be joined in the last-four stage by Blessing Ogundiran and Rosemary Chukwuma, giving Nigeria three representatives in the women’s 100m semi-finals.

There was disappointment for Sade Olatoye in the women’s hammer throw, however, as she finished 10th in Group A.

Olatoye managed a best throw of 62.75m on her second attempt, with two fouls from her three attempts.

With six gold medals now secured and several medal events still to come, Team Nigeria’s impressive campaign in Glasgow continues to gather momentum.