Rafiatu Lawal Breaks Commonwealth Games Record, Wins Gold for Nigeria
Nigerian weightlifter Rafiatu Folashade Lawal has won gold in the women’s 58kg weightlifting event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games after producing a dominant, record breaking performance in Glasgow. Lawal lifted 103kg in the snatch and 126kg in the clean and jerk to finish with a combined total of 229kg, setting new Commonwealth Games records in all three categories. She finished ahead of Canada’s Ann-Sophie Taschereau, who claimed silver with 215kg, while India’s Bindyarani Devi, bronze.
The result adds another gold medal to Nigeria’s growing numbers at the Games and continues Lawal’s remarkable record on the international stage. She had already entered the competition as one of the favourites, having won Commonwealth gold in Birmingham in 2022 and claimed three silver medals at the 2025 World Weightlifting Championships.
Throughout the competition, Lawal looked in complete control. She established an early lead in the snatch before extending it in the clean and jerk, eventually finishing 14 kilograms clear of her closest challenger. Her final lift of 126kg sealed one of Nigeria’s most commanding victories of the Games. Lawal’s gold was part of another successful win for Nigeria’s weightlifting team. Fellow Nigerian lifters Edidiong Umoafia and Didih Onome also won gold in their respective categories, continuing Nigeria’s strong tradition in a sport that has consistently produced medals at major international competitions.
Weightlifting has long been one of Nigeria’s most successful sports at the Commonwealth Games, with Nigerian athletes regularly finishing strong despite receiving far less attention than some of the country’s more popular sports. Lawal’s latest victory adds to that legacy and further strengthens Nigeria’s reputation as one of the Commonwealth’s leading weightlifting nations.
