Sports
Paralympics: Orji, Ugwunwa set world record, win gold medals
Nigeria’s Orji Josephine and Flora Ugwunwa took Team Nigeria’s gold medals to eight on Wednesday after setting a new Paralympics and world record at the on-going Paralympics in Rio.
The 37-year old Orji competing in the Women +86kg category Powerlifing, lifted 160kg to finish well ahead of Poland’s Marzena Zieba, who lifted 134kg to win the silver medal while The Netherlands’ Melaica Tuinfort claimed the bronze medal with a 130kg lift.
Similarly, Flora Ugwunwa set a new world record in the women’s javelin – F54 event on Tuesday at the Rio Paralympics to give Nigeria its seventh gold medal.
She recorded a throw of 20.25 metres after six attempts to win the gold medal and set a new Paralympic and world records, while Tunisia’s Hania Aidi won the silver medal with a throw of 18.88m.
South Africa’s Ntombizanele Situ completed the African sweep of the event’s medals by winning the bronze medal with a heave of 17.90m.
Team Nigeria have now won 11 medals in total: eight gold, two silver and one bronze.
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