Blessing Okagbare facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Blessing Okagbare

Okagbare during the 200 m heat at the 2016 Rio Olympics
Personal information
Born	(1988-10-09) 9 October 1988 (age 36) Sapele, Delta State, Nigeria
Years active	2007–present
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Weight	71 kg (157 lb)
Sport
Country	Nigeria
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Long jump, sprints
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	100 m: 10.79 (2013, NR) 200 m: 22.04 (2018, AR) Long jump: 7.00 m (2013)
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Nigeria Olympic Games Silver 2008 Beijing Long jump World Championships Silver 2013 Moscow Long jump Bronze 2013 Moscow 200 m Commonwealth Games Gold 2014 Glasgow 100 m Gold 2014 Glasgow 200 m Silver 2014 Glasgow 4×100 m relay Bronze 2018 Gold Coast 4×100 m relay All-Africa Games Gold 2011 Maputo Long jump Gold 2011 Maputo 4×100 m relay Gold 2015 Brazzaville 4×100 m relay Silver 2007 Algiers Long jump Silver 2011 Maputo 100 m African Championships Gold 2010 Nairobi 100 m Gold 2010 Nairobi Long jump Gold 2010 Nairobi 4×100 m relay Gold 2014 Marrakesh 100 m Gold 2014 Marrakesh 4×100 m relay Gold 2018 Asaba 4×100 m relay Silver 2012 Benin 100 m World Relays Gold 2015 Nassau 4×200 m relay Continental Cup Bronze 2010 Split 100 m

Blessing Oghnewresem Okagbare-Otegheri (born 9 October 1988) is a former Nigerian track and field athlete. She was amazing at long jump and sprints. Blessing won medals at the Olympics and World Championships in the long jump. She also earned a world medal in the 200 metres race.

Blessing Okagbare holds the 100 metres Commonwealth Games record. Her best time was 10.85 seconds. She used to hold the African record for the 100m with 10.79 seconds. This record was later broken in 2016. She also held the African record for the 200m with 22.04 seconds.

In 2010, Blessing was the African champion in both the 100m and long jump. She also won many medals at other big events. These include the All-Africa Games, IAAF Continental Cup, and World Relays. Sadly, Blessing is currently not allowed to compete in athletics. This is because she broke some important rules about fair play in sports. Her suspension will last until July 30, 2032.

Blessing Okagbare: A Nigerian Track Star

Early Life and First Steps in Sports

Blessing Okagbare was born in Sapele, Delta, Nigeria. She comes from the Urhobo people. Her teachers and family saw her natural talent for sports. They encouraged her to get involved.

When she was a teenager, Blessing first played football in high school. In 2004, she started to focus on track and field. She tried many different events. She competed in the long jump, triple jump, and high jump at Nigerian school championships. She won a medal in each one!

In 2004, she won a bronze medal in the triple jump at a national sports festival. Her first time competing internationally was at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics. There, she took part in the long and triple jump events.

In May 2007, Blessing set a new Nigerian record in the triple jump. She jumped 14.13 meters. At the 2007 All-Africa Games, she won a silver medal in the long jump. She finished fourth in the triple jump.

Olympic and African Successes

When Blessing was just 19, she won a silver medal. This was in the women's long jump at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She was chosen for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. However, she did not start in the 100m or long jump events there.

In 2010, Blessing won both the 100m and long jump at a big college championship in the US. She was unbeatable that year in college sports. She also won the Nigerian 100m title.

At the African Championships in 2010, she won gold in the long jump. She also won gold in the 100m race. She then won her third gold medal as part of Nigeria's 4x100m relay team. They even set a new championship record!

In 2011, Blessing continued to shine. At the 2011 World Championships, she finished fifth in the 100m final. She also won three medals at the All Africa Games. These included a silver in the 100m and gold in the long jump. Her team also won gold in the 4x100m relay.

The year 2012 was very busy for Blessing. She jumped 6.97m in the long jump at the Nigerian championship. She won more medals at the 2012 African Championships. She got silver in the 100m and gold in the long jump.

London 2012 and 2013 World Championships

Blessing competed in her second Olympic Games at London 2012. Many people hoped she would win a medal. She ran her fastest 100m race ever in the semi-final. But she finished eighth in the final.

The year 2013 was a huge year for Blessing. In April, she set a personal best in the 200m. In July, she improved her long jump record twice. She jumped 6.98m and then 7.00m!

On July 27, 2013, Blessing set a new African record in the 100m. She ran 10.86 seconds. About an hour later, she broke her own record, running 10.79 seconds! She even beat the Olympic gold medalist in that race.

At the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Blessing won a silver medal in the long jump. She was just two centimeters behind the winner. She also won a bronze medal in the 200m race.

Big Wins at the Commonwealth Games

In 2014, Blessing Okagbare competed in the Commonwealth Games. She ran in both the 100m and 200m races. She won the 100m final with a time of 10.85 seconds. This broke the old games record!

Blessing also won the gold medal in the 200m race. Her time was 22.25 seconds. By winning both races, she became only the fourth woman ever to win the 100m and 200m double at the Commonwealth Games. She also won a silver medal with her team in the 4x100m relay.

Competing on the World Stage

In 2015, Blessing helped her team win gold in the 4x200m relay at the World Relays. They even set a new African record. She had an injury that year, so she couldn't compete in some events. But she still helped her team win gold in the 4x100m relay at the African Games.

Blessing competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She did not win any medals there. She finished third in her 100m semi-final. Her 4x100m relay team finished eighth in the final.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Blessing won her first 100m race. However, she was later suspended from the games. This was because she did not follow the rules about fair play in sports.

What Happened Next

On February 18, 2022, it was announced that Blessing Okagbare would be suspended from athletics for 10 years. This was because she broke several rules about fair play. The sports body said she was suspended for five years for using certain substances. She got another five years for not helping with the investigation. Blessing said her lawyers were looking into the situation.

Personal Life

In September 2014, Blessing Okagbare married a Nigerian footballer. His name is Igho Otegheri.

Amazing Achievements and Records

Blessing Okagbare has achieved many great things in her career. She holds the Nigerian record for the 100 meters with a time of 10.79 seconds. She also holds the African record for the 200 meters with 22.04 seconds. Her best long jump was 7.00 meters.

She won many national titles in Nigeria. She was the Nigerian champion in the 100m, 200m, long jump, and triple jump multiple times. She also won college championships in the US.

Blessing has won many medals for Nigeria:

• Olympic Games: Silver medal in long jump (2008)
• World Championships: Silver medal in long jump (2013), Bronze medal in 200m (2013)
• Commonwealth Games: Gold medals in 100m and 200m (2014), Silver in 4x100m relay (2014), Bronze in 4x100m relay (2018)
• All-Africa Games: Gold medals in long jump (2011), 4x100m relay (2011, 2015), Silver in 100m (2011), long jump (2007)
• African Championships: Gold medals in 100m (2010, 2014), long jump (2010, 2012), 4x100m relay (2010, 2014, 2018), Silver in 100m (2012)
• World Relays: Gold medal in 4x200m relay (2015)
• Continental Cup: Bronze medal in 100m (2010)

Images for kids

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  Okagbare during the 200 m heat at the 2016 Rio Olympics