Diamond League: Amusan in good command after Okagbare’s exit

Tobi AMUSAN (Photo by Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / Diamond League AG)

For about 10 years, former Nigerian sprinter, U.S.-based Blessing Okagbare was a notable figure in the prestigious Diamond League, particularly, 100m and 200m events.

In one of her outings in 2013, Okagbare upstaged her fierce rivals, Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and America’s Carmelita Jeter to win the 200 metres in 22.55 seconds at the Birmingham Diamond League. That was barely a week after Okagbare cruised to a sprint double at the All Nigeria Championships in Calabar, Cross River State.

At that event in Birmingham, England, Okagbare was not given much chance for a top finish, as many analysts predicted that the Diamond League race would be a head-to-head clash between Fraser-Pryce and Jeter.

But Okagbare surprised many as she made an unusually strong start and held off Fraser-Pryce, the Olympic champion in the 100 metres, while Jeter, who was then world champion, trailed in a disappointing seventh position in 23.36s.

Okagbare went on to dominate the Diamond League, coasting to victory in 2019 in the women’s 100m at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, where she ran a Season Best of 11.05s ahead of her Ivoirian rival and African champion, Marie Josee Ta Lou, who was second in 11.09s.

The event in Rabat was Okagbare’s 60th appearance in the League and was also her last appearance before she fell from grace to grass, following a drug scandal, which landed her a career ending 10-year ban.

What Nigerians have missed in Okagbare, they have gained in sprint hurdler, Tobiloba Amusan.

On Saturday, Amusan set a new African record in the 100m hurdles at the Diamond League in Paris to give Nigeria hope of challenging for a first ever-gold medal at