Nigeria’s brightest hope at the on-going 14th IAAF World Championships, Blessing Okagbare lived up to the billing yesterday when she leapt 6.99 metres to clinch silver in the women’s Long Jump event in Moscow, Russia.
Okagbare has had a sterling season in which she beat some of the best in both sprints and the long jump and was narrowly beaten by American Brittney Reese who added world championship gold to her Olympic crown as her jump of 7.01m. Serbia’s Ivana Spanovic won the bronze medal on 6.82m.
British hope, Shara Proctor finished outside of the long jump medals, sixth eventually, with her best being 6.69m. “I gave it my all but unfortunately for me both calf’s cramped up so I could not perform to my best. The first jump I was feeling good and healthy but everyone after that my calf’s cramped up so I couldn’t do anything.
I was prepared to come out here and give it my all. I knew seven metres would get me a medal and I really thought I could achieve it,” said the Briton after the event.
Similarly, former world and Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu qualified in style for the 400m final at the World Championships in Moscow. The Nigerian-born British captain won her heat in a season’s best of 49.75 seconds, behind only reigning champion Amantle Montsho. Andrew Osagie reached the 800m final with a time of one minute 44.85 seconds, but Michael Rimmer missed out.