Nigerian powerlifter Folashade Oluwafemiayo breaks world record for Gold at 2024 Paralympics
Folashade Oluwafemiayo of Nigeria made headlines on September 8 by setting a new world record and clinching the gold medal in the women’s over 86kg powerlifting event at the 2024 Paralympic Games.
The Team Nigeria captain lifted an impressive 167kg, surpassing her previous record of 165kg.
Oluwafemiayo's record-breaking lift secured her the gold medal, while China’s Deng Xuemei took silver with a lift of 155kg. Egypt’s Nadia Ali earned the bronze with a 145kg lift.
Nigeria’s Minister of Sports, John Enoh, congratulated Oluwafemiayo on her historic achievement. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Enoh praised her exceptional performance: "Our very own Folashade Oluwafemiayo has delivered an outstanding performance at the Paralympics. She achieved something no other woman has done in powerlifting at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, France."
"After this Paralympic Games I have to rest, then go back to training. I have to rest for many months, so next year I do my training, Oluwafemiayo was quoted by the Para Powerlifting Federation on X.
Oluwafemiayo’s gold adds to her impressive list of achievements, which includes gold medals from the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo and World Championships in Mexico (2017), Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan (2019), Tbilisi, Georgia (2021), Dubai, UAE (2023), and Birmingham, England (2022).
With this latest victory, Team Nigeria’s medal count at the 2024 Paralympics has reached seven, including two gold, three silver, and two bronze medals.
