Latifat Tijani Begins Team Nigeria’s Gold Rush

PARALYMPIC GAMES

Latifat Tijani yesterday won Nigeria’s first gold medal of the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in para-powerlift women’s – 45kg category.

Latifat, 39, started with 105. She failed first attempt but lifted it in second attempt. She lifted 107 in her third and final attempt.

The Nigerian lifter attempted 117 to set a games record but she did succeed. She was not prepared for it. It was the Nigerian delegation that urged her to attempt the games record as her failure would not affect the result.

Silver medal went to Cui Zhe of China. She started with 95, then 100 in successful 1st and second attempts. When she saw Lati had lifted 105, she booked 110 and even increased it to 112 for her final attempt

Justyna Kozdryk of Poland who started with 93 and 95 successfully. She then booked 101 for her final attempt knowing she was already in the podium for the bronze.

Cui also seeing that Justyna stopped at 101 decided to respect herself and scaled down her 112 booking to 102 to settle for silver.

So with the successful 105 in her second attempt, Latifat had the gold before her final attempt. She also however did the 107 final attempt successfully.