Four Team Nigeria athletes were in action on Day 3 at the ongoing 2015 World Championships in Beijing, China.
In the pick of all the day’s events, six-time Nigerian champion Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor finished 8th with a time of 11.02s in the women’s 100m final as World Champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce successfully defended her title in a time of 10.76s.
Okagbare who finished 2nd in the first semi-final with a time of 10.89s, looked in fine form ahead of the final, but didn’t get the perfect reaction time that would have propelled her to a podium finish as her poor start saw her trailing in the race.
This year represented a good opportunity for the double Commonwealth champion to build on her 6th place finish at the last World Championships in Moscow, but she will be hoping to do better in her remaining events: the 200m and 4x100m.
Okagbare-Ighoteguonor will have time to recover and hopefully bounce back in the 200m, and with Fraser-Pryce and Allyson Felix not competing in this event, it could be an opportunity for the African Record holder to finish on the podium.
Meanwhile in the women’s 400m heats, Patience Okon-George ran her second fastest time of 50.87s to make the women’s 400m semi-final coming up on Tuesday, after finishing 3rd in her heat.
The National Champion has had an impressive season so far, running her Personal Best (PB) of 50.76s in Switzerland this year, and she has consolidated on that, going lower than 51s.
Two other Nigerians competed in the 400m on Monday: Regina George and Tosin Adeloye competed in Heats 4 and 2, finishing 4th and 5th with times of 51.74s and 52.42s respectively.
George ran her Personal Best of 50.84s in 2013, at the last World Championships in Moscow. The two-time 400m National Champion hasn’t had the best of seasons, but she will hope for a good 4x400m race when the relays come up.
Team Nigeria can look forward to Day 4, as Tega Odele steps out for the men’s 200m heats, and also Okon-George who will be competing in the semis where she hopes to nick a place in the final.
