ATHLETICS: All Hail Blessing Okagbare as she sets new African sprint record

No doubt football has taken the shy off other sports as the most reckoned with around the world especially in our clime, but the recent feat attained by our own in athletic must not go unnoticed.

Right before the world on Saturday, Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare broke the African women’s 100m record twice at the ongoing Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games in London.

The African 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.

But Okagbare was not done yet as she put up another heroic performance in the final to break the African record she had set earlier in the heats to win in a time of 10.7secs ahead of second–placed Barbara Pierre of the United States – who clocked a joint personal best time of 10.85sec- and Trinidad’s Kelly-Ann Baptiste (third in 10.93secs).

After running a world leading 10.7 secs in the semi-finals, defending world champion and reigning Olympic 100m gold medalist, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, never recovered from a poor start in the final, finishing fourth in 10.94secs.

Okagbare is ranked fourth in the world this year both in 200 and long jump.

The 24-year-old Nigerian jumped 7.04m to win the women’s long jump event at the IAAF Diamond League Grand Prix event in Monaco and record her season’s personal best in the event.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s hope of winning a medal at next month’s 14^th IAAF World Championship in Moscow, Russia has been brightened.

This feat is worth commending, rewarding or permit ''awarding''.