Nigerian track and field athlete, Blessing Okagbare has set a new national record after racing to her eighth national 100 metres title on Thursday at 2021 National Championships/Olympic Games trial in Lagos state.
The 32-year-old Olympics, World and Commonwealth Games medallist stormed to a 10.63 seconds national record to win the women’s 100m title.
The Olympics trial is ongoing at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos State.
Okagbare’s time made her the joint second-fastest woman of all time behind 100 metres world record holder Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 10.49s. Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is the other woman to have run 10.63s, a feat she achieved earlier this month in Kingston, Jamaica.
The time also breaks her own personal record as the fastest African and Nigerian woman ever.
The 32-year-old, who was running in the country for the first time since 2016, breezed past her competitors at the women’s 100 metres final.
She finished the race at 10.62 seconds but a +2.7 tailwind forced the time back to 10.63 seconds.
Okagbare in her interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that having a new coach has helped her stay fit after years of injury.
She said;
It’s been a long time coming for me, having to go through series of injuries for five years, and I got this beautiful time few weeks to the Olympic Games.
God, my coach and my team were helpful. Since I changed my coach, things changed, he kept pushing me to be better and I’m glad at the result, this has boost my confidence.
I want to give my best as I’ve always done, I want to motivate youngsters that you don’t give up no matter what.
Okagbare added;
I feel like Blessing Okagbare once again. And I just want to go out every time and do my best. I feel happy. I’m really happy that this time came down today. It boosts my confidence. I just hope this same thing happens at the Olympics.
I’ve been working on everything in general. I hope it clicks where it counts at the big stage. I have to go to the Games and do better than this or reciprocate it. This finish boosts my confidence going to the Games.
Okagbare’s record is, however, subject to ratification by the World Athletics.
NAN reports that Okagbare’s qualification for 2020 Tokyo Games will be her fourth participation in the Olympic.
Another US-based athlete, Rosemary Chukwuma, finished second in 11.07s while National Sports Festival winner, Grace Nwokocha, finished third in 11.11s.
Meanwhile, in the men’s 100 meters event, Enoch Adegoke became the 12th Nigerian athletes to qualify for Tokyo with 9.97 secs.
He finished a new personal best of 10.00 seconds ahead of Ucheoritshe Itshekiri and Brume Okeoghene.
An elated Adegoke said he has longed for the sort of time he finished the race with, pledging that he will improve on his performance and get to the finals in Tokyo.
He said;
I have to wait for a time like this. It’s been a long time. I’ve been looking for a time like this. Every competition, it’s always on my mind I have to run the competition standard. My target going to the Olympics is to get to the final and better my time.
