- Okagbare powers Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m team to gold, off to Zurich
Petite Nigerian sprinter hurdler, Tobiloba Amusan on Wednesday successfully defended her All Africa Games 100m hurdles title in a spectacular fashion.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games sprint hurdles champion ran a blistering 12.68 seconds to win the gold and break compatriot, Glory Alozie’s 12.74 seconds Games record set in 1999 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Amusan was the overwhelming favourite to win the gold in the event and she fulfilled expectations as she propelled herself to not only win the gold but also extend Nigeria’s 100 per cent domination since 1973 when Modupe Oshikoya won the first 100m hurdles title at the Games following the discontinuation of the 80m hurdles race ran in the inaugural edition in 1965 and won by Ghana’s Rose Hart.
Amusan has also become the first athlete to successfully defend a 100m hurdles title at the Games and the third to run a sub-13 seconds to win the title after Taiwo Aladefa (12.98) in 1995 in Harare and Alozie in 1999.
In the women’s javelin event, Kelechi Nwanaga also successfully defended her title with a throw of 55.88m, edging in the process two South Africans viz Van Dyk Jo-ane who threw 55.38m and former world and Olympics medalist in the event, Sunette Viljoen (53.44m) who also holds the African record in the event (69.35m).
In the 4x100m relays, it was mixed fortune for Nigeria as the women won the gold while the men played second fiddle to Ghana.
The women, led by Blessing Okagbare ran 44.16 seconds to win ahead of South Africa (44.61) and Kenya (45.44) while the men ran 38.59 seconds behind Ghana (38.30) with South Africa coming third in 38.80 seconds.
In the 400m final, both the women and the men made it to the podium with Favour Ofili (51.68) winning the silver behind pre-race favourite, Moroko Galefele of Botswana with Ghana’s Obour Grace third in 51.86 seconds.
The other Nigerian in the event, Patience Okon-George finished fifth (52.18).
For the men, Nigeria’s Chidi Okezie won the bronze medal (45.61) with Botswana’s Scotch Leungo winning the gold (45.27) ahead of South Africa’s Phora Thapelo (45.59).
Meanwhile, the former Commonwealth Games double sprint champion, Blessing Okagbare will not be in action when the 200m event begins today in Rabat.
The 2013 IAAF World Championship 200m silver medalist will be running her own 200m event at the Weltklasse IAAF Diamond League final in Zurich, Switzerland where she will be battling for the $50,000 top prize money on offer and the honour to be called Diamond League champion in the half lap.
Okagbare is one of the eight athletes who have qualified for tonight’s final and she has been drawn in lane eight where she will hope to outrun a number of such top quality athletes as Britain’s Dina Asher Smith, The Netherlands’ Dafne Schippers, reigning 2016 double Olympics sprint champion, Elaine Thompson of Jamaica and Bahamas’ Shaunae Miller-Uibo.
The tall and beautifully built Nigerian is the second fastest athlete (22.05 seconds) over the distance so far this year behind Thompson who ran 22.00 seconds last June in Kingston, Jamaica.
While Okagbare is away in Zurich, Rosemary Chukwu will lead Nigeria’s charge for podium appearances in the event in Morocco.
She and the two other Nigerians listed for the event, Ntia-Obong Mercy and Adekunle Bukola Jasper will be hoping to deny Cote d’Ivoire’s Marie Josee Ta Lou the chance to successfully complete a sprint double for the second time after winning in 2015 in Brazaville, Congo.
