Onyinyechi Mark Wins Gold in Women’s 61kg Powerlifting, Defeats China’s Cui Jianjin and Mexico’s Amelia Perez
September 7, 2024
By Okafor Joseph Afam
Nigeria continues to shine at the ongoing Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, as Flora Ugwunwa secures a Silver medal in the women’s Javelin F54 event. Ugwunwa’s throw of 19.26 meters earned her the prestigious second place, just behind Uzbekistan’s Nurkhon Kurbanova, who set a world record with an impressive throw of 21.12 meters.
At 40 years old, Ugwunwa remains a dominant figure in the sport, now with three consecutive Paralympic medals: two Golds from Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, and a Silver from Paris 2024. Her consistent performance reinforces her status as one of Nigeria’s most decorated Paralympic athletes.
This victory adds to Nigeria’s growing success at the Paris Games, bringing their total medal count in Para-Athletics to four. Earlier in the week, Mariam Eniola Bolaji secured Nigeria’s first medal in Para Badminton, winning Bronze in the women’s singles SL3 event by defeating Ukraine’s Kozyna Oksana 21-9, 21-9.
Additionally, Onyinyechi Mark made headlines in the women’s 61kg powerlifting category, winning Gold by lifting 150kg. The 23-year-old powerlifter overcame tough competition, beating China’s Cui Jianjin, who claimed Silver with a lift of 140kg, and Mexico’s Amelia Perez, who earned Bronze with a lift of 130kg.
Nigeria’s remarkable achievements in these Paralympic Games demonstrate their athletes’ resilience and determination, with hopes of even more success as the competition continues.
