Blessing Okagbare makes double blessing of gold

Blessing Okagbare made history for Nigeria yesterday by lifting the gold medal in the female 200 metres event of the XX Commonwealth Games, Glasgow 2014, bringing the country’s total medals haul to 25 at the time of filing this report.
Okagbare had won the 100 metres event, setting a new Commonwealth Games record. In the 200metres she won with a time of 22.25 slowing down at the finish line.
Born October 9, 1988, Okagbare specializes in long jump and short sprints. She is an Olympic and World Championships medalist in the long jump, and a world medallist in the 200 metres. She also holds the Women’s 100m Commonwealth Games record for the fastest time at 10.85 seconds. Her 100m best of 10.79 makes her the African record holder for the event. She was the African 100m and long jump champion in 2010. She has also won medals at the All-Africa Games and the IAAF Continental Cup.
At the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Okagbare won the silver medal in the long jump. Her jump of 6.99m put her in second place behind Brittney Reese of the United States by only two centimetres. In the 100m final, she placed sixth with a run of 11.04 secs and also placed third in the 200m race.
Judging from the success recorded so far, Chef de Mission and chairman of the National Sport Commission (NSC), Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye has described Team Nigeria as a strong force in World sport.
Elegbeleye was reacting to the sterling performance of Team Nigeria at the ongoing XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Odunayo Adekuoreye and Aminat Adeniyi won gold medals in Wrestling while Superwoman Maryam Usman lifted Nigeria’s name to high heavens with her golden lift.
‘’These things are made possible by the love and support of President Ebele Goodluck Jonathan. He has been the backbone of sports and we are happy to be churning out these good results’’, a jubilant Elegbeleye said.
He opined that the sky still looks good for more medals to come the way of Team Nigeria before the Games curtains are drawn on Sunday.
Nigeria now has eight gold, six silver and 11 bronze medals.
Ese Brume also gave Nigeria a gold medal yesterday in the long jump event with a 6:56m jump.