Ogunkoya tips her for World Athletics Championship gold
PLAUDITS have been
pouring in for Nigeria’s
sprint sensation,
Blessing Okagbare
after she wiped out
her London 2012 Olympics tears
at the same venue at Olympics
Stadium in Strafford, with a
new African 100m record at the
weekend.
In front of an ecstatic crowd
of 80,000 spectators, the new
Africa’s Queen of the tracks first
broke Gloria Alozie’s 14 -year old
record of 10.90 record when she
returned in 10.86 seconds in the
heats. She further lowered that in
the final to produce what is now
the talk in town, a sensational
feat of 10.79 seconds. Delta State
Governor,
D r . Emmanuel
Uduaghan
who has
b e e n
suppor t ing
Nigeria’s elite
athletes especially
Okagbare reacted thus:
“I see a world champion
in her and I pray she
makes it in Moscow during the
World Championships. Setting a
record is always a great thing. I
congratulate her.”
It was a strange afternoon in
what was the deepest sprint field
of the second day of the London
Anniversary Games.
Reigning world
champion Carmelita
Jeter withdrew from
the final with a quad
injury, according
to Flotrack,
after running a
season’s best
10.93 in her
heat.
J e t e r
missed the U.S. championships
in June due to a quad injury.
With the World Athletics
Championship just
two weeks
away, this
is a situation to
monitor.
Two-time Olympic
champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-
Pryce put up a very smooth
world-leading 10.77 in her heat.
But Fraser-Pryce was never
a factor in the final, running
a 10.94 for fourth place. The
winner was Blessing Okagbare in
10.79 seconds.
Okagbare is also ranked fourth
in the world this year in both the
200 and the long jump.
The fastest American on
Saturday was a woman who didn’t
make the world championships
team – Barbara Pierre. Pierre
matched her personal-best
10.85 in the final, the same time
English Gardner clocked to win
nationals in June.
‘’Blessing is Nigeria’s greatest
sensation now and needs the
support of the whole country,”
celebrated Solomon Ogba, the
President of Athletics Federation
of Nigeria who was at the
stadium yesterday.
“I congratulate Blessing and I
thank Governor Uduaghan for all
his tremendous support,” Amaju
Pinnick, Delta’s Sports boss said
last night.
“She is absolutely sensational.
She is unbelievable. Breaking
African record two times in one
event is sensational,” Dare Esan,
Editor of Complete Sports who
is a renowned track and field
writer said.
Former Quarter Miller, and
Olympian, Falilat Ogunkoya
hailed Nigeria’s athletics
sensation, Blessing Okagbara’s
preparation towards the World
Athletics Championship coming
up next month, submitting that
the Delta-born track and field
athlete would surprise the world.
The Ogun State-born quarter
miller said her optimism stems
from the seriousness she has
seen in Okagbare in preparation
for the great event.
According to Ogunkoya,
Okagbare has displayed great
strength in athletics in recent
time with the way she is carrying
on, adding that she has what it
takes to win gold in one of the
three events that she would be
participating in.
Speaking to Pilot Sports in
Lagos over the weekend, Falilat,
who is also a board