Jamaica sprinter Usail bolt and Nigeria female sprinter blessing Okagbare on the spotlight again...
Two people will stand out in the sprint events at the 2013 IAAF World Championships when athletes begin to burn the tracks in Moscow on Saturday. Jamaica’s world record holder, Usain Bolt, and Africa’s fastest woman, Blessing Okagbare, will get more attention than necessary when they begin their quest for gold today.
Bolt has been there and done that having won five World Championships gold medals in 100m, 200m and the 4x100m at the 2009 and 2011 editions in Berlin and Daegu respectively. He, however, shocked everyone in Daegu when he jumped the gun and was disqualified in the 100m event, paving the way for compatriot Yohan Blake to take the top spot.
His maiden appearance at the championships in Osaka, Japan fetched him two silver medals in the 200m and 4x100m events.
Bolt has always been a delight to watch each time he appears at a major event. The expectations on everyone’s mind are to see him beat his major rivals – Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell, Walter Dix and Blake – and also to set a new world record.
He is the first man to hold both the 100m and 200m world records, twice setting the 100m record to put it at 9.58 seconds.
By providence, Powell, Gay and Blake are not in Moscow to give Bolt a run for his money, but the multiple Olympic gold medallist is not worried about their absence as he hopes to regain the 100m crown.
Blake is out with a hamstring injury and Gay and Powell have been banned after failing drugs tests.
“I went to the Olympics and now I’m back – back to regain my title,” Bolt said at a pre-tournament party in Moscow on Sunday.
“I’m even more focused than last time. So I’m going to get it done.
“I’m really motivated to go and show the world that even without nobody there I can still win. So I’m focused, and I’m ready to go.”
Okagbare is to Nigeria what Bolt is to Jamaica. She may yet not be the world’s fastest woman, her feats since the season started this year have been phenomenon.
The US-based sprinter had a poor outing at the last World Championships in Daegu, finishing fifth in 11.12 seconds behind American Camelita Jeta, Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown, Kelly-Ann Baptiste of Trinida & Tobago and 2012 Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica.
Okagbare disappointed her fans at the 2012 Olympics in London when she finished last in the final which was won by Fraser-Pryce. The Nigerian track star had impressed everyone at pre-Olympic events, raising hopes of a medal for the team.
She, however, put the shame of the games behind her as she dominated her rivals at the same venue – Olympics Stadium in Strafford – and setting a new African record of 10.79. Her 10.86 seconds in the heat had broken Gloria Alozie’s 14 -year old record of 10.90.
Nigeria’s long jump record holder and an official of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria, Yusuf Ali, believes Okagbare can further lower her time in stiff competition in Moscow.
“I don’t have a doubt about that. She has been consistent with the way her time is going down in recent time,” Ali said.
“Her performance will also act as a form of motivation for the rest of the team.
“It’s been long since Nigerian athletes won medals at the World Championships, but we can get back to winning ways in Moscow.”
Okagbare will be featuring in four events in Moscow. While she will compete in the 100m with Gloria Asunmu, she will be the only Nigerian in the 200m and the long jump events. She also completes the women’s 4x100m relay team.
She stands to get $60,000 if she wins gold in the individual events. A silver medal will fetch her $30,000, while bronze is rewarded with $20,000.
There are also cash prizes for the fourth place to the eighth position, ranging from $15,000 to $4000.
Beyond these, the IAAF has concluded plans with sponsors to reward a world record breaker with $100,000.
With the women’s 100m world record at 10.49 seconds and the long jump at 7.52m, there is doubt Okagbare will hit the jackpot.
“I don’t see her setting a world record; it’ll be asking for too much from her,” athletics coach, Tobias Igwe, said.
Igwe, popularly called Toblow, trained several of Nigeria’s track stars, including the Davidson Ezinwa and Mary Onyali.
He said, “Okagbare will finish in the medals range but I cannot predict if she will win the gold. Her performance in London, where she set a new African record, has only put her at par with the Olympic champion, Fraser-Pryce. Anything can happen at the Championships in Moscow.”
Toblow lamented the rating of the men’s team, saying they are nowhere near being rivals to Bolt in the 100m and the relay.
“Ogho-Oghene Egwero is the only hope in the sprint, but with personal best of 10.16, I’m not tipping him to be in the final,” Toblow said.
