Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare showed what great form she is in this year, storming to a Season’s Best of 22.05s (+1.9) to win the women’s 200m at the Eugene Diamond League in Stanford, USA.
It is the second fastest time run in the world this year, with only Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson running faster than Okagbare in the world this year in women’s 200m.
Running from lane 8 and in a field that had big names like: Thompson, Dina Asher-Smith, Salwa Eid-Naser and Dafne Schippers, Okagbare held her own against them, peeling away after coming out from the bend first and holding a big lead to secure the win.
Immediately she got into the home straight, she stretched her lead over Thompson who was her closest challenger in 2nd place with a time of 22.21s. Asher-Smith finished in 3rd place with a time of 22.42s and Nigerian-born Bahrain athlete, Salwa Eid Naser ran a new Personal Best of 22.51s to finish in 4th.
This is Okagbare’s 2nd fastest time in history over the 200m, having raced to an African Record of 22.04s last year, and now 22.05s. Earlier this season in Nanjing, she clocked a then SB of 22.58s in her 2nd 200m in 2019.
With her progress this season, and her victory in the 100m in Rabat beating Ivory Coast’s Marie Josee Ta Lou, Okagbare has further underlined that she will be a major contender for a medal at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.
If she stays injury free and with her current form till the World Champs, other contenders will surely be wary of the threat she poses to their title aspirations in the 100m and 200m.
Ooooooh Oooooh OH ! now she IS back.. we pray that she holds up physically to the rigours and challenges.. may she record victories and major medal successes right through all the way to the world championships finals itself..in YESHUA Messiah’s name I say.. it is so.. AASHEE !!!!!!!