Blessing Okagbare reaffirms her status as Olympic gold contender with win in Shanghai

COMMONWEALTH double sprint champion Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor has stepped up her quest to win Olympic gold at the forthcoming 2016 games due to take place in Brazil by winning the 100m at the Shanghai Diamond League yesterday.

 

During last year's Commonwealth games in Glasgow, Blessing became the first Nigerian ever to win an individual sprint double at a global sports meeting when she raced home to clinch the women's 100 and 200 metres titles. This has made her a firm favourite for both distances at next year's Olympic Games and she confirmed her status yesterday in China.

 

In a star-studded race, Blessing beat the field with a time of 10.98 seconds, leaving the likes of triple Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown and double Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in her wake. American Tori Bowie finished second in 11.07 seconds while Trinidadian Michelle-Lee Ahye came home third with a time of 11.13 seconds.

 

Campbell-Brown and Fraser-Pryce, Jamaica’s leading ladies are some way off their best but there is still enough time for improvement before the World Championships in August. Veteran Campbell-Brown, 33, got a blistering start out from the blocks but was not able to live with the speed and power of Okagbare.

 

Olympic 100m champion Fraser-Pryce ended the race in 11.25 seconds but by her standards she looked sluggish out of the blocks having the third slowest reaction time. Jamaica’s third athlete in the race, Schillonie Calvert, came in eighth place recording a time of 11.53 seconds.

 

Ms Fraser-Pryce said:  “It is a good start and I didn’t have any time in my head and no expectations. The feeling was OK and I am looking forward to my next 100 metres, what comes, comes.”