– As Metu reclaims 100 metres men
Blessing Okagbare on Tuesday rewrote the Nigeria’s track and field history, emerging the first woman to win for the fourth consecutive times the 100m event of the All Nigeria/Cross River State Athletics Championships at the U. J Esuene Stadium, Calabar.
She snatched the tittle from the USA based Gloria Asumnu in a photo finish.
Okagbare clocked 11.12 seconds as against the 11.13 recorded by Asumnu, and expressed her happiness after emerging the first Nigerian lady to win the tittle four times.
“I’m really happy defending the tittle here in Calabar. It was not an easy race considering those who were in the line up. It is something that I need to celebrate” Okagbare said immediately after the race.
Although she admitted that the 11.12 seconds she clocked was not what she expected.
“But when you look at the weather condition today and the lack of enough time to loosen up, you will agree that the time is not altogether a bad one”
“First, I will go to the Senior African Championships in Port Novo, Benin Republic to see if I can improve on it and also defend successfully the tittle I won in Kenya two years ago” she added.
On why she had not been doing the long jump event where she won bronze at Beijin 2008 olympics, Okagbare insisted the surgery she had sometime ago slowed down her progression in the event.
“I am going to do the long jump on Thursday. I need the speed of the spirit to help me in the jump. Now that I am getting real good in the spirit. I think it is time I go full blast inot the long jump. Lets see how I fare in it” stressed the Sapele – born sprinter.
Meanwhile in the male category, three time champion Obinna Metu has reclaimed the 100m from the grip of Ogho Oghene Egwero in a hotly contested race at the just concluded All Nigeria/Cross Rivers Athletics championship.
Peter Emelueze who came into Nigeria’s London Olympic trials here in Calabar as a contender, posted the most disappointing time of 10.39 to place sixth despite wining his semi – final earlier in 10.21.
Speaking shortly after the race, Metu insisted that his best was yet to come.
