Rafiatu Lawal Biography

Rafiatu Folashade Lawal is a Nigerian weightlifter. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games hosted in Birmingham, England, she won a gold medal in the women’s 59 kg competition. She competed for Nigeria in the 2019 African Games in Rabat, Morocco, where she won the women’s 59 kg gold medal. Additionally, she won the gold medal in her division at the Nairobi, Kenya, 2021 African Weightlifting Championships.

Early Life and Education

Rafiatu Lawal was born on November 12, 1996. She was born and raised in Lagos State, in the southwestern part of Nigeria, where she received her primary and secondary education.

Career

She took home the gold medal in the women’s 59 kg category at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, Morocco. She also took home the gold in the Clean & Jerk and Snatch contests. In the snatch match, she also set a new African record with 93 kg.

She participated in the women’s 59 kg competition at the Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 2021 World Weightlifting Championships. She came in sixth place overall in this contest.

Her overall performance earned her the gold medal at the 2021 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships. She was able to compete at the Birmingham, England, Commonwealth Games in 2022 as a result. She won a gold medal in the women’s 59 kg category at the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, England.

Achievements

• 2019 African Games, Rabat, Morocco: Weight: 59kg, Position: 1st, Medal: Gold (Snatch and Clean & Jerk events), Record: 93 kg
• 2021 World Weightlifting Championships, Tashkent, Uzbekistan: Weight: 59kg, Position: 6th, Medal: Nil, Record: Nil
• 2021 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships, Tashkent, Uzbekistan: Weight: 59 kg, Position: 1st, Medal: Gold (Total result), Record: Nil
• 2021 African Championships, Nairobi, Kenya: Weight: 59kg, Position: 1st, Medal: Gold (Snatch and Clean & Jerk events), Record: Nil
•  2022 Commonwealth Games, Birmingham, England: Weight: 59kg, Position: 1st, Medal: Gold (Total result), Record: Nil