Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare on Saturday
broke the African women's 100m record
twice at the ongoing Sainsbury's
Anniversary Games in London.
The rangy Nigerian sprinter
coasted home in an
impressive 10.86 seconds
winning time in the semi-finals of the
women's 100m event to erase compatriot
Glory Alozie's 10.90secs set in 1999.
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 has been in fantastic form
recently, with the London feat her second
Diamond League victory.
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.
She also won the women's long jump at
the IAAF Diamond League Grand Prix in
Lausanne in a remarkable 6.98m.
In the sprints, Okagbare defeated rivals
Fraser-Pryce and Carmelita Jeter to win the
200m at the Birmingham Grand Prix.
The USA-based athlete is being tipped to
end Nigeria's 13-year medal drought at the
World Athletics Championships, scheduled
for Russia in August. And she hopes to be
in top form ahead of the showpiece.
"I just wanted to put up a good race and
I'm so excited. For me, I just want to do my
best and I've been working hard and have
tried to stay on top of my recovery. I'm
hoping when it comes to Moscow that I'll
be ready," the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
long jump bronze medalist told the BBC.
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