Ajoke Odumosu in Lucerne

By Duro Ikhazuagbe

Nigeria’s build up to the London 2012 further got a boost on Tuesday night with Ajoke Muizat Odumosu’s victory in the 400m hurdles event of the Spitzenleicht Athletic Meet in Lucerne, Switzerland.

The African champion who is aiming to run herself into contention for a first-ever Olympic medal clocked 55.12 ahead of European bronze medallist Hanna Yaroshchuk from Ukraine (55.30) to win the gold.

The University of South Alabama, USA graduate holds a personal season’s best of 54.75 seconds, her second career best performance which she achieved only a fortnight ago at the African Championships in Port Novo, Benin Republic. Any improvement on that will certainly make her a candidate for the final of the 400m hurdles event of the London 2012.

Interestingly, Odumosu and another of Nigeria’s medal prospect at the Games, Blessing Okagbare will be back on track Friday to compete at the Herculis Zepter Samsung Diamond League meeting in Monaco, the final dress rehearsal for the 30th Olympiad.

Okagbare, who last weekend at the Aviva Diamond League in London defeated American World Championship winner, Carmelita Jeter, and reigning Olympic champion, Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Phryce, will be aiming to prove her victory was no fluke as she takes on the Caribbean again.

The Delta girl had earlier in the heat played second fiddle to Fraser-Phryce (10.93 to 10.99 seconds) despite running a new personal best and first sub-11 seconds of her career.

In Monaco on Friday, Okagbare won’t just be competing against Fraser-Pryce, she will also have another Jamaican, Stewart Kerron and USA’s Madison Tianna who came third in London last week to contend with.