Sprint sensation Blessing Okagbare, would be hoping to set new records at the second leg of the Diamond League series in Shanghai, China on Sunday May 17. Last year, she claimed two victories there in the Long Jump with a 6.86m leap and also won the 200m event in 22.36s, setting new meet records in the process.
The Nigerian track queen has had a good start to the 2015 outdoor season, leading the women’s 4x200m team become world champions at the World Relays in Bahamas, and also playing a huge role in their 4x100m qualification for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio,Brazil. Okagbare kick-started her individual season at the Jamaica Invitational, finishing 2nd (11.05s) behind Jamaica’s World Lead Elaine Thompson (10.97s), but ahead of 200m Olympic Champion Allyson Felix, who finished 3rd.
In Shanghai, she would be competing in her second 100m race of the season, coming up against double Olympic Champion Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce and her Jamaican counterpart Veronica Campbell-Brown. Campbell- Brown won the Diamond Race last season and already has a Season Best (SB) of 11.04s. USA’s Tori Bowie who was the Breakout Athlete last year, alongside Trinidad & Trinidad’s Michelle-Lee Ahye, who has done sub 11s this year (10.97s), would also give Okagbare a stiff contest.
Other mouth-watering races to watch out for include the men’s 400m, as some of the best clash at the one-lap event. Olympic Champion/ World leader Kirani James would be aiming for maximum points just weeks after breaking Michael Johnson’s 19-year-old meet record at the Drake Relays. The Grenada-born athlete will come up against his great rival Lashawn Merritt in their first race together this year. Bostwana’s African Record holder, Isaac Makwala and Belgium’s Kelvin Borlee would also be contenders.
In the men’s 200m, Kenya’s new sprints king Carvin Nkanata would seek to show that he is no fluke when he faces Jamaica’s Nickel Ashmeade who narrowly missed the 2014 Diamond Race by a point to World Championship silver medallist, Panama’s Alonso Edward. The race also features world number 4 Julain Forte and world bronze medallist, Curtis Mitchell, and former European Champion, Churandy Martina. Nkanata is currently the world leader this year with a time of 20.14s and would become the first Kenyan sprinter to compete in 200m at the Diamond League.
Last season’s surprise winner in Doha, Bahrain’s Kemi Adekoya, will be looking at replicating her 400m hurdles triumph last year in Doha, where she set a new PB and National Record (NR) of 54.59s for her newly adopted country. She would be up against Kaliese Spencer, who had a near perfect season last year, recording 12 wins out of 13 to win the Diamond League in addition to being the Commonwealth Champion. 2012 World Champion Lashida Demus and this year’s world number 3, Kori Carter would also be in strong contention.
The highlight for the field events would be in the High Jump, with Bohdan Bondarenko and Mutaz Essa Barshim set to rekindle their rivalry. The duo thrilled fans last year battling for supremacy, with Barshim coming out tops with a 2.43m jump on the final day of the Diamond League meet in Brussels. Bondarenko is currently tied as the European record holder with his 2.42m PB and third on all-time list.
Fun Fact about the IAAF Diamond League :
Blessing Okagbare is the most prolific athlete of the Diamond League since its inception in 2010. She has notched up 38 appearances in the series and participated in nine Diamond League meetings in 2014, winning four of them.
