30th July, 2010
Team Nigeria are second on the medals table in the ongoing African Athletics Championships in Kenya.
The Team Nigeria have garnered 2 gold and 3 bronze medals to overtake South Africa which have 1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals. The country’s representatives have the prospect of increasing the medals haul as the competition hots up today.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare set a new African Championships mark in the women’s 100m after winning gold in 11.03 seconds at the 17th African Athletics Championships in Nairobi today.
Okagbare bettered the old mark of 11.06 set by fellow Nigerian Mary Onyali-Omagbemi at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada.
Gabon’s Zang Milama Perennes Pau was second in 11.15 ahead of two other Nigerians; Damola Osayemi, who was third in 11.22 and Agnes Osazuwa who ended fourth and out of the podium in 11.33 seconds.
The race had two false starts but the Nigerian, who is the women’s long jump bronze medalist from the 2008Beijing Olympics, was elated with shattering the long standing record in the 100m.
“I had a race of my lifeâ€, said Okagbare. “I knew it was going to be difficult and my intention was not to break the record but to win the race. “I thank God I have achieved it on African soil.â€
