Nigeria’s Ruth Ayodele has strengthened her growing reputation on the international stage after winning two medals at the 2026 World Weightlifting Championships in Ningbo, China.
Competing in the women’s 69kg category, Ayodele secured silver in the clean and jerk and added a bronze medal in the overall standings.
The Nigerian recorded a best lift of 136kg in the clean and jerk, placing her second in that section of the competition.
Combined with her performance in the snatch, the result gave Ayodele a total of 242kg and earned her third place overall.
Her performance placed her among the leading lifters in one of the sport’s biggest international competitions.
Unlike some championships where medals are awarded only for the combined total, the World Weightlifting Championships also recognise performances in the individual snatch and clean-and-jerk disciplines.
That allowed Ayodele to leave Ningbo with two medals from the same competition.
The result adds another important achievement to her international career.
Ayodele has increasingly become one of Nigeria’s leading female weightlifters, representing the country at major continental and global competitions.
Her latest performance also provides another encouraging result for Nigerian weightlifting as the country continues to rely on its female lifters for success at major championships.
World Championship medals carry particular significance because athletes compete against many of the strongest lifters from across the globe.
Ayodele’s ability to finish on the overall podium therefore places her performance beyond success at continental level.
The 136kg clean and jerk effort proved particularly important, pushing the Nigerian into the silver medal position in the discipline.
She ultimately finished the competition with two trips to the podium and another major international result beside her name.
For Nigeria, it was another reminder that when the weights get heavy on the world stage, the country’s women continue to deliver.
