Okagbare Wins Bronze In 200m

Mosco 2013 World Athletics Championship

By EMMA NJOKU

Nigeria, yesterday, won bronze in the Women’s 200m event at the ongoing World Athletics Championship in Mosco, Russia through Blessing Okagbare. Okagbare who had earlier won a silver medal in the Women’s long jump at the championship crossed the finish line in 22.32seconds but lost the silver medal to Ivory Coast’s Murielle Ahoure who finished in same time but with quicker reaction time of 0.180 as against Okagbare’s 0.154.

The Team Nigeria’s captain had made up for her trade mark slow start in the last 50metres lap running shoulder-to-shoulder with Ahoure for the second position behind Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Okagbare, however, slowed down when she approached the finish line, allowing the Ivorian to react faster across the finish line to beat her to the silver. Ahoure also won silver in the Women’s 100m.
Expectedly, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won the Women’s 200m gold medal in 22.17seconds. The Jamaican had earlier won gold in the Women’s 100m decided early in week.
With yesterday’s bronze, Nigeria is now placed 21st on the medal table, above Italy (23rd), Australia (29th) and Japan (29th)