Tokyo 2020: Oborududu Wins Historic Wrestling Silver For Nigeria

Blessing Oborududu secured her place in the history books as she won Nigeria’s first ever medal in Wrestling at an Olympic Games.

Commonwealth champion Oborududu fought valiantly against great rival Tamyra Mensah-Stock in the final of the women’s 68kg freestyle in Tokyo, but eventually succumbed to a 4-1 defeat.

Despite the disappointment of a fourth successive reversal to American World Champion Mensah, Oborududu is assured of a place in Nigeria’s record books with her feat of a silver medal in Japan.

Oborududu’s silver medal brings to two Nigeria’s medal haul in Tokyo after long jump queen Ese Brume claimed bronze in the women’s event earlier on Tuesday.

On her way to the final, Obourududu, 32, made light work of Elis Manolova in the round of 16, thrashing the Azerbaijani 13-2 via technical superiority, before securing a hard-fought 3-2 win against Meerim Zhumanazarova of Kyrgyzstan in the quarter-finals.

The ten-time African champion, then saw off 2012 bronze medallist Battsetseg Soronzonbold of Mongolia in the semis to set up a fourth encounter with Mensah who she had most to in their last meeting at the 2019 World championships in Kazakhstan.