Monday, July 7, 2025 - Nigeria’s wrestling sensation, Esther Kolawole, has won a gold medal at the Spanish Wrestling Grand Prix.
The 23-year-old claimed her gold medal after defeating
American wrestler Haylie Jaffe 10-0 by superiority in the final in Madrid on
Saturday, July 6.
Kolawole, a Paris 2024 Olympic qualifier, displayed
remarkable dominance throughout the tournament. She breezed past Spain’s Lydia
Perez 10-0 in the quarter-finals and followed it up with a gritty 4-1 semifinal
victory over Poland’s Alicja Nowosad before capping it off with an emphatic win
over Jaffe.
This gold marks a major progression for Kolawole, who won
bronze at the same competition in 2023. Her latest triumph is a testament to
her continued development and growing presence on the global stage.
The African champion is using the Spanish Grand Prix—held
from July 4 to 7—as a preparatory event ahead of the World Wrestling Ranking
Series scheduled for July 14 in Budapest, Hungary. Both tournaments are part of
her build-up to the 2025 World Wrestling Championships in Croatia this
September.
Kolawole’s gold follows her previous bronze in Madrid, while
compatriot Ogunsanya Christinah also secured bronze in the 53kg category.
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