Another day, another GOLD medal for Team Nigeria with Josephine Orji continuing the country’s impressive outing so far, breaking the World Record to win women’s +86kg Powerlifting at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
It was a one-side show for Orji who was more or less competing against herself, completely dominating her other competitors to win with a WR mark of 156kg.
The Nigerian had an impeccable performance that she established a big gap with her closest challengers. Poland’s Marzena Zieba won Silver finished with a mark of 134kg, with Netherlands’ Melaica Tuinfort winning Bronze lifting her best mark of 130kg.
Watch here as Josephine Orgi lifts a HUGE 160kg to break her own world record! #Powerlifting #Paralympics #Rio2016 https://t.co/u6FHGsWbcA
— Para Powerlifting (@Powerlifting) September 14, 2016
Orji showed that she meant business early on, opting to enter the competition at 151kg. That weight was the highest entered by any competitor, in fact all others resolved to fight for the other medal spots as they didn’t come close to 150kg.
Egypt’s Nadia Ali who entered 145kg, failed all her three attempts in that category, and she would have been the one to really ruffle Orji, possibly turning the tides if she had lifted it.
The Nigerian having failed her attempt at 154kg, picked herself up and came into her third attempt shattering the WR by lifting 154kg. Buoyed by her compatriots and fans from other nationalities in the stand, Orji activated her 4th attempt as she went for 160kg. Although she lifted it, the official mark at the end of the competition remained the 154kg she lifted in her third attempt.
However, Orji will revel in the fact that she still has the WR and ended what has been a fine outing in the Powerlifting event for Team Nigeria, ensuring that she continued the winning culture by securing a medal in the very last event of this sport at this year’s Paralympics.
