Okagbre for London 2017 long jump

By: Aderinto Ayoade

Blessing Okagbare has qualified for the London 2017 World Athletics Championships after jumping 6.77m to finish in the second place at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial Athletics Grand Prix meet in Hungary on Tuesday.

The 2008 Olympics bronze medallist (long jump) secured qualification for the 100m and 200m races of for next month’s London 2017 in June.

The sprinter/jumper came to Hungary with a 6.52m personal season’s best achieved in Eugene,Oregon, USA, last month. She was the number two ranked long jumper in Africa so far this term behind compatriot Ese Brume, whose 6.64m was, until Tuesday, was the best mark by an African in the event.

Okagbare who won the 100m event on Tuesday with a time of 11.11 seconds, her second fastest time of the season, ahead of Remona Burchell of Jamaica (11.15) and Nigerian-born American Morolake Akinosun (11.19), who came second and third respectively

Meanwhile, 2014 Commonwealth Games long jump gold medallist Brume and Africa’s undisputed sprint hurdles queen Tobi Amusan failed to make the list of confirmed athletes for the eighth leg of the Diamond League in Lausanne, Switzerland.