Florence Olarinoye Shines as Nigeria’s Young Lifters Dominate in Accra

Nigeria’s future in weightlifting is looking brighter than ever, as the country’s young lifters continue to make a bold statement at the 2025 Africa Junior and Youth Weightlifting Championship in Accra, Ghana. Leading the charge on Monday evening was Florence Olarinoye, who delivered a flawless performance that has cemented her as one of the sport’s rising stars.

Competing in the women’s 58kg category, the 18-year-old sensation won an incredible six gold medals—three in the Junior class and three in the Youth division. Olarinoye showed her dominance with a 71kg snatch, an 86kg clean and jerk, and a 157kg total lift, outclassing her competition and underlining her reputation as Nigeria’s golden girl of weightlifting.

This victory adds to her growing list of achievements, including gold at the 2023 National Youth Games and a silver medal at the 2024 National Sports Festival in Ogun State. With her success in Accra, Nigeria’s medal count has now climbed to eight golds and one silver at the championship.

Earlier in the day, Ezenwa Chinaza Cecilia also delivered a solid performance, winning two gold medals and one silver after lifting 63kg in the snatch, 72kg in the clean and jerk, and a 135kg total. Her effort set the tone for Team Nigeria’s medal haul on day four of the competition.

The medal presentation ceremony will take place at the Ga Mashie Hall inside the Trust Sports Emporium in Accra, where Nigeria’s young stars will step onto the podium to receive their well-deserved honors.

This triumph comes on the heels of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation’s elective congress, which returned Dr. Ibrahim Abdul Aladi as president for another four-year term. With the federation now focused on nurturing young talents, officials are optimistic that the impressive showing in Ghana is only the beginning.

As the championship continues until Friday, August 22, Nigeria’s camp is buzzing with confidence and high hopes for even more podium finishes. If Olarinoye’s golden sweep is anything to go by, the future of Nigerian weightlifting is set for greatness.