Nigeria’s Rafiatu Folashade Lawal has made history at the 2025 IWF World Weightlifting Championships by winning three silver medals in the women’s 58kg category — becoming the first Nigerian to achieve such a feat on the global stage.

Lawal lifted 101kg in the snatch and 128kg in the clean and jerk, finishing with a total of 229kg to place second overall. Her performance surpassed Nigeria’s previous best record of 222kg set by Ruth Imoleayo Ayodele at the 2023 World Championships in Saudi Arabia.

North Korea’s Kim Il-Gyong claimed all three gold medals with a world record total of 236kg, while Olympic champion Kuo Hsing-chun of Chinese Taipei settled for two bronze medals with 224kg. Ulrey Eleanor of the United States took the remaining bronze medal in the snatch with a lift of 98kg.

Reacting to the achievement, Ibrahim Aladi, President of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF), expressed pride and joy, describing Lawal’s performance as a reflection of “hard work, discipline, and resilience.”

“Rafiatu has once again proven that Nigerian weightlifters can stand tall on the world stage,” Aladi said in a statement.

He also commended the National Sports Commission and the NWF Board for their continuous support, while calling on corporate bodies and philanthropists to invest in athlete development.

“We appeal to the private sector to partner with us so our lifters can continue to represent Nigeria proudly. With adequate support, we can produce more world champions like Rafiatu Lawal,” he added.

Lawal’s latest success adds to her growing list of international achievements, including gold medals at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and the 2023 African Games in Accra.

Her record-breaking performance in Norway cements her reputation as one of Nigeria’s most consistent and decorated weightlifters.