BLESSING OKAGBARE SETS NEW AFRICAN 100 METRES RECORD

April 30 2011: Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare at the starting blocks of the Women’s Sprint Medley during the Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, PA

Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare has broken the African Women’s 100 metres record at the ongoing Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games in London after posting an impressive 10.86 seconds winning time in the second semi-final of the Women’s race.
Okagbare has been in tremendous form lately as she also leapt 7m recently to become only the second Nigerian lady after Chioma Ajunwa to do same in the Long Jump event.
Expectedly, Okagbare tops the list of 19 athletes to represent Nigeria at next month’s World Athletics Championships in Moscow where Nigeria hopes to end her 13-year medal drought.
Coming behind Okagbare to place second in the semi-final race was America’s Barbara Pierre while fellow African, Murielle Ahoure of Cote D’Ivoire came third. The other contestants were Kelly-Ann Baptiste of Trinidad & Tobago, Verena Sailer of Germany, Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands, Asha Phillips of Great Britain and Annabelle Lewis, also of Great Britain.

The final race is set for later today.

Aanother Nigerian Olusoji Fasuba holds the African record in the men’s 100m event. (NIGERIAN TELEGRAPH)