Okagbare, Ofili, other Nigerian stars shine at US athletics events

NIGERIA’S queen of the tracks Blessing Okagbare has won the women’s 100m final at the USA Track and Field Grand Prix in Oregon.

The Olympic medallist ran a season’s best time of 10.97 seconds to win the prestigious event on Saturday.

She beat Nigerian-born United States of America sprinter Morolake Akinosun to second place (11.09 seconds), with Daryll Neitia finishing third in 11.18 seconds.

In the men’s 100m, Nigerian Divine Oduduru ran a personal season’s best of 10.25 seconds to finish 5th. The race was won by Trayvon Bromell in 10.01 seconds.

Also on Saturday in the United States, Favour Ofili kept up her recent good form with an individual silver and a relay gold medal at the LSU Alumni Gold meet.

The 18-year-old, who holds Nigeria’s national record in the women’s indoor 200m, ran a time of 51.49 seconds to place second in the women’s 400m, setting a new personal best in the event.

Her time is the sixth fastest in her school Louisiana State University history.

Ofili also helped her team to a world leading time of 42.70 seconds as they won the women’s 4x100m relay.

Also over the weekend, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi participated in the Drake Relays meet where he threw a season’s best of 21.08m to finish third in the men’s shot put event.

Another Nigerian, Esther Isa, was also impressive this weekend, claiming women’s triple jump gold with a mark of 12.42m at the Clark Wood Open.

Also at the Clark Wood Open, Amarachukwu Obi ran a time of 23.06 seconds to win the women’s 200m title.

Obi ran a personal best of 23.02 seconds just few days to her big win.

Okagbare will be leading Nigeria’s quest for medals at the World Relays competition in Poland next weekend.