Okagbare Shines, Wins 100m Race In Rabat

Former African champion, Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare–Ighoteguonor returned to winning ways as she ran her season’s best to win the women’s 100m event at the 2019 IAAF Diamond League series on Sunday.

Blessing was the toast of spectators as she delivered a sterling performance inside the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium’s tracks in Rabat, the Moroccan capital.

Returning with a Season Best Time of 11.05s, the Africa’s Sprint Queen was ahead of her Ivorian rival and current African champion, Marie Josee Ta Lou, who posted a time of 11.09s with Canadian Crystal Emmanuel placed third in a time of 11.30s.

The outing was Okagbare’s 60th appearance in the prestigious Diamond League and she marked it with her first-ever win in Rabat.

In her previous outings this year in the Diamond League, Okagbare in Doha finished third in the 200m while it was slightly better at the Shanghai Diamond League where she came second in the 100m.

Before finally breaking the jinx on Sunday, Okagbare had failed to win any of her previous Diamond League races in Rabat.

In her debut Diamond League race in Rabat in 2016, Okagbare ran 11.11 seconds to place second behind Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson

Okagbare was fourth in 2017 (11.03 seconds) behind Thompson who ran a blistering 10.87 seconds while it was worse in 2018 for the University of Texas graduate as her 23.42 seconds could only afford 7th place in the 200m. – With agency reports