Team Nigeria grabs eighth gold medal

Ugwunwa wins F54 javelin
Team Nigeria continued its impressive performance at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games yesterday with two more gold medals to raise its haul to 11. The country now has eight gold, two silver and one bronze medals.

Yesterday, Flora Ugwunwa threw a distance of 20.25 metres to win the women’s F54 Javelin gold, and in the process created a new world record.

The mark, achieved in her third attempt, also smashed the Paralympic record of 17.89m.

Former world record holder, Tunisian Hania Aidi, took silver with a throw of 18.88m, a personal best.

On Day 6 of the Paralympics, Opeyemi Jegede finished fifth in men’s Powerlifting -88kg class at the Riocentro Pavilion 2.
After two successful lifts, (192kg and 200kg) Jegede failed in his third, (215kg) to finish 5.

In Men’s -97kg, Abdulazeez Ibrahim finished third with 215kg, having suffered an injury during competition.

Among the heroes in the Nigerian team are Ndidi Nwosu, Onye Lauritta, Kehinde Paul, Ezurike Roland and Orji Josephine.

Power lifter, Ndidi Nwosu, won the women 73kg event, while Onye Lauritta won the country’s first gold medal in athletics when she won gold in the shot put event.

Her first throw of 7.83m broke the world record of 7.72m.
Nigeria now leads Africa’s medal haul and is ninth on the overall table.

The games run till September 18.