Team Nigeria Long Jump star, Blessing Okagbare, was the toast of the world press at the mixed zone of the Moscow Olympic Stadium venue of the ongoing IAAF World Championship.
She expressed her delight on ending Nigeria’s drought of winning medals at the IAAF World Championship in Athletics which dates back to Seville 99 IAAF World Championship in Spain, where Gloria Alozie won a silver in the 100m hurdles and Francis Obikwelu a bronze medal in the 200m.
Okagbare noted: “I give glory to the almighty God. I thank him for everything, I also thank Him for using me, because He could have used anybody, I thank him for using me. I also thank all members of my family, friends and relations for their support.’
American Britney Reese won the gold medal with her second jump of 7.01m. Okagbare with her coach American John Smith urging her on and giving her instructions a few meters away from the field, won the silver medal her last jump of 6.99 metres, while Serbia’s Ivena Spanovic won the bronze with 6.82, a new Serbian national record
The Nigerian athletics star will be running in the final of the women’s 100metres race Monday. And she is optimistic of doing well, though declined to make any prediction.
