Blessing Okagabare was in yet another blistering form yesterday when she not only won the 100 m race at the African Athletics Championship but also set a new championship record of 11 secs.
The amazon who blew away strong oppositions at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland to win the double, 100 m and 200 m, was dominant in Marrekech, Morocco as she powered to glory to erase the former record of 11.03 secs.
โโI am very happy to have won the title because I just wanted to win for my fans and do my country proud. Just coming straight from the Commonwealth Games, my body is tired, but my coach told me to just focus and execute the race, which was what I didโโ, she said moments after the race.
Her closest rival was Ivorian Murielle Ahoure but Okagbare noted that the competition was stiffer in Glasgow but acknowledged the challenge of Ahoure and hoped that Nigeria could re-produce having three Nigerians on a bigger platform like they did in Morocco yesterday.
โโ Of course the competition was stiffer at the Commonwealth Games, but that is not to take anything away from Murielle Ahoure. She is a great athlete. It was good that we had three Nigerians in the final but this is Africa. I am hoping that we can have this kind of representation on a bigger platform, like the World Championships and the Olympicsโโ..
Okagbare by her records has virtually won everything this summer. She won the IAAF Golden League in Lausanne, Switzerland and Monaco and went to the Commonwealth Games where she sent tongues wagging with her her doubles win in the 100 m and the 200 m. She erased the records.
