Glasgow 2026: Didih secures Nigeria’s fifth gold with record-breaking weightlifting performance
Onome Omolola Didih of Nigeria secured the country’s fifth gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Her performance in the women’s 53kg weightlifting event on Monday included multiple record-breaking lifts.
Didih’s dominance was evident throughout the competition, where she established three new Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth records. She began by lifting 93kg in the snatch, setting new records for both the Commonwealth Games and the Commonwealth. Following this, she achieved another record with a 113kg lift in the clean and jerk. Her total lift of 206kg also set a new Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth record.
This impressive showing placed Didih comfortably ahead of her competitors. India’s Gyaneshwari Yadav earned the silver medal with a total lift of 199kg, while Canada’s Rebeka Groulx took home the bronze with 178kg.
A Duel for the Gold
The women’s 53kg competition featured an engaging contest between Didih and Yadav. The two lifters consistently challenged each other, leading to frequent revisions of the Commonwealth Games records.
Yadav, a 23-year-old from Bhondiya village in Chhattisgarh, demonstrated composure in the snatch portion of the event, executing three clean lifts. However, the clean and jerk segment became a direct battle of one-upmanship. Yadav initially set a new Commonwealth Games record by lifting 107kg. Didih quickly responded, surpassing this with a 110kg lift.
Undeterred, Yadav reclaimed the record by successfully lifting 111kg. Yet, Didih once again raised the bar, calling for 113kg and completing the lift, thereby securing the gold medal and further rewriting the record books.
Nigeria’s Medal Haul Continues
Didih’s gold medal win occurred just hours after Edidiong Umoafia contributed Nigeria’s fourth gold medal. Umoafia achieved this in the men’s 71kg weightlifting event, also setting a Commonwealth Games record with a total lift of 319kg. His performance included 147kg in the snatch and 172kg in the clean and jerk, placing him ahead of Joseph Tafi from Samoa and Elgin Moses from Nauru.
Nigeria had initiated its gold medal count through para powerlifting events. Esther Nworgu, Folashade Oluwafemiayo, and Riluwan Idris each claimed titles during the initial days of the Games. The nation has also secured several silver medals, with contributions from Roland Ezuruike, Esther Oyema, Rita Ferdinand, and weightlifter Ruth Asuquo Nyong.
With additional athletics and weightlifting events still scheduled, Nigeria aims to further its medal count at the Glasgow Games. Meanwhile, Gyaneshwari Yadav‘s silver medal marked India‘s fourth weightlifting medal and fifth overall medal at the Commonwealth Games.
India’s Broader Medal Aspirations
India is also looking to enhance its medal tally across various sports at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Athletes are competing in swimming, gymnastics, boxing, weightlifting, and athletics.
The athletics competitions commenced on Monday, with India expected to be a strong contender for multiple podium finishes. In boxing, Haryana boxer Ankush made a notable debut in the men’s 80kg category, defeating Antigua‘s Jalan Jan with a 5-0 unanimous decision to advance to the quarterfinals. Additionally, world No. 5 Sachin Siwach progressed to the quarterfinals in the men’s 60kg category after a commanding performance against England‘s William Hewitt.
In swimming, Swatik Patil qualified for the final of the men’s 100m breaststroke SB9 event, finishing fourth in the heats with a time of 1:15.85, which secured his automatic qualification for the medal race. With numerous medal events remaining, India maintains optimism about strengthening its position in the Commonwealth Games 2026 medal standings.
Source: premiumtimesng.com
