Okagbare Begins Rio Olympic Journey Today

The country’s medal hopeful, Blessing Okagbare, will today begins her journey towards history as the athletic events of the ongoing Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil commence.

The athlete will be gunning for medals in her traditional 100m, 200m, Long Jump and 4 x 100m women relay.

The University of Texas at El Paso’s graduate won a bronze medal in long jump at her first outing eight years ago in Beijing while failing to win anything at the London games.

The greatest challenge to the Sapele-born athlete’s quest who ran her season’s best of 11.02secs at the All Nigeria trials will be from Shelly- Ann Fraser-Pryce, who is chasing history as she bids to become the first athlete to win a hat-trick of Olympic women’s 100m titles. Others are world leader Elaine Thompson who ran a blistering 10.70secs at her national championships to equal Fraser-Pryce’s Jamaican record and climb to joint fourth on the all-time lists.

Another danger is Murielle Ahoure, the 2013 World 100m silver medallist, who is seeking Ivory Coast’s second ever Olympic track and field medal. Ahoure ran a PB of 10.78 earlier in the season and was crowned African champion in Durban.

Tori Bowie ran a time of 10.78 to claim third spot at the US Trials and as a 2015 world bronze medallist she too will have genuine medal aspirations.

Other athletes expected to compete today in the women’s 100m are: Gloria Asumnu and Jennifer Madu, while Orukpe Eraiyokan and Nwanneka Okwelogu will be competing in the men’s 400m round one and women’s shot put qualification respectively.