TEAM Nigeria on Monday captured its third gold medal at the ongoing 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, when sensational Blessing Okagbare finished the 100m final race in 10.85 seconds.
The Beijing 2008 Olympic bronze medallist, who ran 10.93 seconds in the semi-final dusted Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown who returned in a time of 11.03 seconds and Jamaican Kerron Stewart, who finished in 11.07 seconds to clinch her first gold medal of the Commonwealth Games.
Compatriot Gloria Asumnu however, finished last in the race with a time of 11.41 seconds.
Okagbare went on a lap of honour after the race with Nigeria's flag amid cheers from the enthusiastic crowd.
Her victory brought some respite to the officials of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) in particular after three of its runners had earlier in the day in the women's 400m failed to move to the final which holds tonight.
An elated Okagbare, after her heroics told BBC Sport: "I am so excited right now! A new season's best and win. I'm happy I was able to put on a show. I executed it and stayed patient like my coach said I should and after 70 metres it just felt easy! I still have the 200m and the long jump and I'm looking forward to both of those events now."
Meanwhile, Nigeria's Mark Jelks finished fourth in the final of the men's 100m in a race won by Jamaican Kemar Bailey-Cole (10.10 secs), while England's Adam Gemili returned in 10.10 seconds and Jamaican Nickel Ashmeade, 10.12 seconds to place second and third respectively.
Omolara Omotosho started the sad story in the women's 400m when she finished third in the first semi-final with a time of 52.34 seconds, in the race won by Jamaican Stephanie Mcpherson who returned in a time of 50.69 seconds, as Kelly Massey of England finished second with a time of 52.19 seconds.
Also, Folashade Abugan crashed out in the second semi-final when she returned in a time of 51.71 seconds behind Jamaican Christine Day (51.02 seconds) and Shaunae Miller of Bahama (51.58 seconds), while Regina George finished sixth in the third semi-final with a time of 53.48 seconds.
Also, three Nigerian boxers on Monday night crashed out in the round of 16.
Kehinde Ademuyiwa in the men's welterweight category lost by an unanimous decision to Australian Daniel Lewis, while Sikiru Ojo in the bantamweight lost by a unanimous decision as well to Kenyan Benson Njangiru.
Wasiu Taiwo had earlier in the day on Monday crashed ou
Taiwo lost by a unanimous decision to Australian Andrew Moloney in a men's flyweight round of 16.
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