Paris Olympic: Rafiatu Lawal Targets Podium Finish in Weightlifting
One of Nigeria’s weightlifters to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Rafiatu Lawal remains confident of podium finishing despite facing the rest of the world at the quadrennial event for the first time.
The team Nigeria women’s weightlifter, Lawal assured Nigerians the weightlifters would put up their very best in their maiden appearance at the Olympic Games.
The weightlifter said she’s eager to join the list of Olympians who have won Olympic Games medals in the past for Nigeria particularly in weightlifting.
Nigeria has won only two medals in weightlifting since the start of her participation in the four year competition in Helsinki, Finland in 1952.
Lawal who has ruled Africa and Commonwealth Games in successive competitions booked a ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France in the 59kg while Joy Eze is also through to the Olympics in the 71kg having also dominated Africa in her weight class.
Lawal lifted a combined total lift of 227kg, with a snatch of 101kg as well as 126kg in Clean and Jerk in the 2024 IWF World Championship in Thailand set a new African record in the women’s 59kg and also picked her Olympics ticket.
Lawal said she’s happy to travel on training tours having trained for over two months in Nigeria, stressing that the trip would boost her performance at the Olympics.
“I have never felt this happy in my life since I started competing. It is also a thing of joy to set another African record en route to the Olympic Games.
“ I can boldly say that I have had the best of build-up in Nigeria. We were in camp courtesy of our President, Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF) Dr Ibrahim Abdul for over close to two months before the Ministry of Sports took over the athletes preparations.
“I am delighted to be on the training tour in Germany and this will help me to hit form before the start of the Olympic Games.
“My motivating factor is from my childhood. I have always had it in mind that I want to become one of the most successful sports personalities in Africa when I grow up. I am happy the coast is becoming clearer.
She applauded Oyo State Governor, Eng. Seyi Makinde, for his constant support while calling on those administering sports in the country to give maximum attention to many medal producing sports including weightlifting since a weightlifter can win as much as three medals in a weight class.
Also Lawal had set a Games record of 206kg from her snatch and clean and jerk lifts at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the women’s 59kg weightlifting.
She has already conquered the continent by picking 59kg gold at the 2019 African Games in Morocco, the 2021 African Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent and 2023 African Games in Ghana.
The Weightlifting event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will commence on Wednesday, August 7.