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Unusual turn of events: Colombian weightlifters compete head-to-head, Nigerian debutant delays medal ceremony

Posted : 11 September 2023
The women's 64kg event at the IWF World Championships will be remembered as one of the most unusual in weightlifting history. Two Colombian competitors from the same weightlifting club in the same city competed against each other, with one winning the world title while the other was bumped off the podium by two B Group lifters, one of whom had never competed internationally before.

Ruth Ayodele, a 23-year-old Nigerian making her debut, added to the intrigue by delaying the medal ceremony because she couldn't be located. Eventually, she descended from the stands, expressing her excitement about winning a medal.

The gold medal seemed destined for Nathalia Llamosa, a 26-year-old Colombian, until she made her final lift of the night, a clean and jerk of 122kg. Llamosa's performance of 101-122-223, while below her career best, was enough to narrowly edge out Ayodele, who totaled 100-122-222.

The clean and jerk gold and bronze medals were claimed by B Group lifter Park Minkyung from Korea, a 27-year-old who lifted 97-123-220. Her clubmate and training partner, Julieth Rodriguez, also from Colombia, matched her snatch lifts but only managed one successful clean and jerk, earning her a snatch silver.

Notably, four A Group athletes failed to achieve a total in the competition.

Llamosa and Rodriguez, who train together in Palmira, have a history of pushing each other to improve in training. Llamosa's victory marked the first non-Asian win at the Championships after nine medal events, and she attributed her success to years of dedication to the sport.

Ruth Ayodele's late entry into the weightlifting scene was due to personal reasons that led her to take a break from the sport. She was recalled to the Nigerian team recently and showcased her strength and potential in this competition.

Nigeria has shown promise with impressive performances by its weightlifters throughout the week, and there are high hopes for Joy Eze in the 71kg category, according to Nigeria's head coach, Ojadi Aduche.

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