Blessing Oborududu has emerged the first Nigerian wrestler to win a medal at the Olympics after winning a silver medal in the women’s 68 kg freestyle wrestling event at the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan.
Blessing Oborududu on 3rd of August 2021 achieved the feat after losing to reigning world champion Tamyra Mensah-Stock of the United States 4-1 on points.
Oborududu’s loss, notwithstanding, she made history as the first wrestler representing Nigeria to win a medal at the Olympics, a feat that was already assured after the 32-year-old recorded an impressive 7-2 victory over London 2012 Olympics bronze medallist Battsetseg Soronzonbold of Mongolia in the semi-final.
On her way to the final, Obourududu 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.
Blessing Oborududu, seeded second in her weight division behind Mensah-Stock, also lost to the American at the 2019 World championships in Kazakhstan, with Mensah-Stock getting the better of Oborududu on her way to the title.
