Okagbare and other athletes stars today

Blessing
Okagbare, who is
Team Nigeria’s
brightest hope
for a medal at
the ongoing
Olympics in
London will today
start her chase
for honours
when the
preliminary round
of the women’s
100m sprints into
action at the
Olympic Stadium
in Strafford.
Jamaica’s Shelly-
Ann Fraser-Pryce
(2R) in the women’s
100m final on the
second day of the
2012 Diamond
League athletics
meet at Crystal
Palace in London
on July 14, 2012.
Okagbare won,
Jeter placed secon,
Madison third and
Fraser-Pryce last.
AFP PHOTO
She is joined by
27-year old Gloria
Asumnu,who is
apart from
running in the
100m, is also
doing the 200m
and women’s
4x100m relays.
Okagbare, who in
the weeks
leading to the
Games here, was
in a chart-
bursting form,
winning two
IAAF races to
push her stake
for a medal in the
women’s 100m
against a star-
studded field,
comprising
defending
Olympic champion
Shelly Ann Fraser
Pryce of Jamaica
(10.70), Camelita
Jeter of the USA
(10.81), Veronica
Campbell Brown
(10. 82), Kelly Ann
Baptiste (10.86)
and Allyson Felix
of USA (10.92).
After conquering
all at the meet in
Monaco, which
was the final
major stop
before the
Games of the
XXX Olympiad,
the real battle
begins today as
the focus of all
would shift to
the Olympic
Stadium, where
all the athletics
events are due
to hold.
For Okagbare,
whose personal
best in the 100m
is 10.96, the
journey to
tomorrow’s
100m final,
starts this
morning when
she competes in
the preliminary
round. There are
four heats and
Nigerians will be
hoping to see
their jewel
qualify.
Later in evening
session,
Okagbare will line
out in the
women’s 100m
Round 1, where
the objective will
be to progress
without hitches.
And later on in
the evening, the
23-year old
Nigerian will line
out against the
big girls of the
sprint world in
one of the three
100m semifinal
races. A final
ticket for
Okagbare would
see her marching
out against the
creme-de-creme
of the women’s
100m field
tomorrow night
at about 10pm,
where the battle
for a medal
reaches a
crescendo.
A medal is
possible but
against a strong
field, then the
task becomes
tougher but
Okagbare,
insisted in an
earlier interview
that she would
not fumble at
the biggest
stage of her
athletics career.
She is also
competing for
medals in the
long jump and
women’s
4x100m relays.
ATHLETICS
SCHEDULE for
TODAY
Men’s Shot Put
Qualifying Rounds
(1/2)10:00 AM
Women’s
Heptathlon 100m
Hurdles
(1/10)10:05 AM
Women’s Triple
Jump Qualifying
Rounds
(1/2)10:25 AM
Women’s 100m
Preliminary Round
(1/10)10:40 AM
Men’s 400m
Hurdles Round 1
(1/20)11:15 AM
Women’s
Heptathlon High
Jump (1/2)11:15
AM
Men’s Hammer
Throw Qualifying
Rounds
(1/2)11:20 AM
Women’s 400m
Round 1
(1/20)12:00 PM
Men’s 3000m
Steeplechase
Round 1
(1/10)1:00 PM
Women’s
Heptathlon Shot
Put (1/2)7:00 PM
Women’s
Heptathlon Shot
Put (1/2)7:00 PM
Women’s 100m
Round 1
(1/20)7:05 PM
Women’s Discus
Throw Qualifying
Rounds (1/2)7:10
PM
Men’s Long Jump
Qualifying Rounds
(1/2)7:50 PM
Men’s 1500m
Round 1
(1/10)8:05 PM
Men’s Shot Put
Final8:30 PM
Women’s
Heptathlon 200m
(1/10)8:45 PM
Women’s
10,000m Final9:25
PM
TOMORROW
Men’s 100m
Preliminary Round
(1/10)10:00 AM
Women’s
Heptathlon Long
Jump (1/2)10:05
AM
Women’s Pole
Vault Qualifying
Rounds
(1/2)10:20 AM
Men’s 400m
Round 1
(1/20)10:35 AM
Women’s 3000m
Steeplechase
Round 1
(1/10)11:35 AM
Women’s
Heptathlon
Javelin Throw
(1/2)11:40 AM
Men’s 100m
Round 1
(1/20)12:30 PM
Men’s 20km Race
Walk5:00 PM
Men’s 400m
Hurdles
Semifinals
(1/3)7:00 PM
Women’s Discus
Throw Final7:30
PM