Edidiong Umuofia delivered another major success for Team Nigeria at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, claiming the country’s fourth gold medal with a record-breaking performance in the men’s 71kg weightlifting event.
The 23-year-old produced a Games-record total of 319kg after dominating both the snatch and clean and jerk categories to secure top spot on the podium.
Umuofia set the tone by successfully lifting 147kg in the snatch on his second attempt before following it up with a commanding 172kg in the clean and jerk to seal an emphatic victory over the rest of the field.
Samoa’s John Tafi settled for the silver medal, while Nauru’s Ezekiel Moses claimed bronze.
The gold is Nigeria’s second medal in weightlifting at the Games, following Ruth Nyong’s silver-medal finish in the women’s 48kg event on Sunday.
With Umuofia’s triumph, Team Nigeria’s medal haul has risen to eight, comprising four gold and four silver medals.
Nigeria’s first six medals at the Games had all come from the para-powerlifting competition.
Elsewhere, Nigerian athletes also impressed on the fourth day of competition.
Favour Ashe stormed to victory in his men’s 100m preliminary heat, while Nicolas Fakorede finished second in his race to also progress to the semi-finals scheduled for Tuesday.
The duo will be joined by Kayinsola Ajayi, who earned automatic qualification to the semi-finals as one of the event’s highest-ranked athletes.
