Mercy Genesis and search for Olympics podium finish

Posted : 03 August 2023

At a young age of 19 years, Miesinnei Mercy Genesis participated in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where she competed in the Women’s freestyle -48 kg.

Though her participation in the Olympics at such a young age happened to be a daunting task especially competition among the veterans of the game, Miesinnei Mercy Genesis was unfazed and fearless in the combat against even some of the world's fiercest fighters, this was a pleasant experience for her as she finished with her head up.

Born 20 September 1997, Miesinnei Mercy Genesis is a Nigerian freestyle wrestler, though much was not known about her previously, she busted into the sports scene at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where she competed in the Women’s freestyle -48 kg.

Miesinnei Mercy Genesis followed her development up in wrestling as she was put forward again in the 2019 World Beach Games held in Doha, Qatar.

One thing of note is that Miesinnei Mercy Genesis achieved a world record as the first ever Nigerian sports personality to win a medal at the maiden ANOC World Beach Games, holding in Doha, Qatar where she won a silver medal.

Miesinnei Mercy Genesis won the silver medal in the women's 50 kg beach games, a higher category of her former 48kg where she competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics wrestling event, Genesis then went ahead to set a benchmark in Doha as she emerged second in the women’s wrestling 50kg, to take silver behind Kamila Barbosa Vito Da Silva of Brazil, unfortunately, she was latter stripped of the medal in February 2021 due to anti-doping rule violations.

Though Miesinnei Mercy Genesis proved her innocence about the anti-doping saga with probable evidence, the punishment for the anti-doping rules was stayed which relatively affected her participation in other wrestling events for the year.

Miesinnei Mercy Genesis, serving the anti-doping ban, missed out on the Japan 2020 Olympics, held in 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic, she was more determined during the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, England.

Well prepared for the action, at the Commonwealth Games, Miesinnei Mercy Genesis defeated all other wrestlers on her way to clinch the gold medal in the women's 50 kg event.

Genesis Miesinnei Mercy defeated Canada’s Parks Madison to clinch the gold medal in the women’s wrestling at the 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG). She won the encounter 9-0 at the Coventry Arena with a 3-1 VFA (victory by fall) to easily win Parks.

In 2020, she also followed up and won the gold medal in the women's freestyle 50 kg event at the 2020 African Wrestling Championships.

While at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia, where she competed in the women’s 50kg final, Mercy Genesis dismantled Jacqueline Mollocana of Ecuador by 15 to 2 points (Technical Superiority). Earlier, Genesis defeated the duo of Erin Golston (USA) and Veronika Rjabolova of North Macedonia 10-0 (Technical Superiority) in the semi-final and quarterfinal respectively.

Presently, Miesinnei Mercy Genesis is ranked number 18th in the world a place enough for her to challenge for a title in the forthcoming 2024 Summer Olympics to be held in Paris. Nigerians will be banking on her prowress to deliver a medal at the world event.

As African Champion, Mercy Genesis won a gold medal in the women’s 50kg category, all eyes will be on her.

It is on record that Nigeria's journey in Wrestling has been eventful and rewarding as the sport is one of the strong points. Nigeria has produced great wrestlers in the mould of Daniel Igali who once captained Nigerian Team to the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Canada where he won silver and also emerged as a silver medalist at the World Wrestling Championships in 1998.

Igali reputedly won 116 consecutive bouts at the Simon Fraser University between 1997 and 1998.

The good thing about Igali is that he has been able to raise other good wrestlers discovering others such as Blessing Oborodudu, Mercy Genesis among others.

Also Nigeria has been able to produce the most decorated wrestler in Africa named Power Mike.

Power Mike once retired as undefeated World Heavyweight Wrestling Champions winning several bouts especially when he beat the famous Ali Baba of Lebanon in 1973.

Power Mike was also instrumental for the explosive convergence of world wrestling greats such as Mil Mascara, Dick "the Bulldog" Brower, Carlos Calon, Buddy Rose, Chris Adams, Micheal Hayes, Thunderbolt Williams, Mighty Igor and The Mongols in Nigeria in the 1980s.

Other female world champions Nigeria has produced in wrestling includes, Ifeoma Nwoye who won gold in 51kg freestyle at the New Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, and Odunayo Adekuoroye, presently World number two in ranking.

With this array of stars, there is a heavy burden on Nigerian wrestlers to perform at the Paris 2024 Olympics especially the trio of Mercy Genesis, Odunayo Adekuoroye and Blessing Oborodudu.

Mercy Genesis and search for Olympics podium finish

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