Nigeria’s superstar athlete, Blessing Okagbare, Friday afternoon added one more medal to her victory shelve, as she won the bronze medal in the women’s 200metres final thus making history as the first African to win a medal in the 200 metres event of the Athletics World Championship.
It was a thrilling afternoon for Okagbare who had to struggle neck-to-neck with fellow African competitor, Murielle Ahoure of Ivory Coast. The two crossed the line in a photo finish that gave the Ivorian her second silver in the World Championship after she earlier grabbed one in the 100metres final.
Okagbare and Ahoure finished at the same time breasting the tape at 22.32 seconds.
Ahoure and Okagbare fought out a thrilling duel with the 25-year-old Ivorian prevailing in the closest of finishes to give Africa their first medals in the history of the 200metres event at the worlds.
For both it was their second medal of the championships – Ahoure’s in the 100 also being Africa’s first in a women’s world 100m final – while Okagbare took silver in the long jump.
Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce became the third athlete to achieve the women’s sprint double at the World Athletics Championships when she won the 200metres on Friday in Moscow.
The 26-year-old – who regained her 100m title on Monday – timed 22.17 seconds while 100m silver medallist Murielle Ahoure of Ivory Coast took another silver in a photo finish with Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare, both of whom timed 22.32.
Three-time champion Allyson Felix of the United States failed to finish after collapsing dramatically onto the track coming round the bend into the home straight.
While the 27-year-old lay prone on the ground, her dreams of setting an all-time world championship gold tally record of nine in ruins, Fraser-Pryce strode to the line untroubled.
Crossing the finishing line she clapped as well she might, joining East Germans Silke Gladisch (1987) and Katrin Krabbe (1991) in completing the double.
However, while they did a lap of honour – after Ahoure had smothered Fraser-Pryce with an embrace as she lay on the ground overcome by her achievement – a crestfallen Felix was carried from the track by her brother.
