Nigerian wrestler Esther Kolawole clinches gold at Spanish Wrestling Grand Prix

Nigerian wrestling sensation Esther Kolawole continued her meteoric rise with a commanding gold medal win at the 2024 Spanish Wrestling Grand Prix in Madrid, defeating American Haylie Jaffe 10-0 by superiority in the final on Saturday.

Kolawole, already qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics, was dominant throughout the tournament.

She overpowered Spain’s Lydia Perez 10-0 in the quarter-finals, battled to a 4-1 win against Poland’s Alicja Nowosad in the semi-finals, and wrapped up her campaign with a clinical shutout against Jaffe in the final.

This victory marks a leap for Kolawole, who won bronze at the same event in 2023.

Her gold medal highlights her growing prowess and reaffirms her position as a rising force on the global wrestling stage.

The African champion is using the Spanish Grand Prix, held from July 4 to 7, as part of her preparations for the upcoming World Wrestling Ranking Series in Budapest, Hungary, on July 14.

Both events serve as tune-ups ahead of the 2025 World Wrestling Championships in Croatia this September.

The Nigeria Wrestling Federation’s emphasis on exposing athletes to top-tier international competition appears to be paying off.

Esther Kolawole’s gold medal follows her 2023 bronze, while compatriot Ogunsanya Christinah also impressed with a bronze finish in the 53kg category.

Kolawole’s dominant showing in Madrid further solidifies her status as one of Nigeria’s brightest wrestling talents and boosts expectations for her upcoming international appearances.