All Africa Games medal hopeful, Blessing Okagbare placed fifth in the finals of the 100m event of the 13th IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, to signal her participation in the big league of global sprinters. She clocked 11.12 in the race blighted by a -1.4ms headwind.
American Carmelita Jeter (10.90) won the gold while Veronica Campbell-Brown (10.97) and Shelly-Ann Baptiste of Trinidad and Tobago (10.98) settled for the silver and bronze medals respectively.
Another Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.98) was fourth in the race described as coming from a field of the very best in the event at the world right now. “Looking at the field, nobody expected her to win the race. Our target coming here was to achieve a final placement for the two of the sprinters we entered for the 100m. We are satisfied that Blessing made it to the final to race amongst the very best sprinters in the world at the moment,” observed the Athletics Federation of Nigeria president, Solomon Ogba.
Damola Osayomi, who had a 10.99 leading to the Championships failed to go beyond the semi finals, and finished 8th with a slow 11.58 in the race won by Jamaican Kerron Stewart with 11.26. American Marshevet Myers (11.38) was the second qualifier. In the women’s 400m hurdles, Ajoke Odumosu ran a season best of 56.23 to place fourth.
?