My target is to be No 1 – Okagbare

Nigeria’s queen of the tracks, Blessing Okagbare, has said her target in the new athletics season is to be at the number one spot.

The new athletics season began last week with the Doha and Shanghai Diamond Leagues and Okagbare, who began her season with a 10.98 win in the Women’s 100m in Shanghai last Sunday, said she hopes to end the season in the top spot.

“I feel, I think and I hope I can end in the number one spot,” Okagbare told the IAAF official website after her Shanghai win. “I’m working towards it. I hope it happens.”

Okagbare said the win in Shanghai would help boost her confidence as she goes about achieving her target.

She said, “It does give me confidence but it doesn’t change anything. There are a lot of talented people out there, like me, so I just have to keep working hard. I don’t want to be left behind.

“A performance like that gives me a little edge and a bit of confidence but I still have to put more work in and keep pushing forward.”

She also said that she would work more on her sprint to better her time and starting in upcoming races.

“There’s been a lot of work going on,” she said. “My coach told me ‘don’t worry about the time, just go out and execute’. I think that’s what I did and after 40 metres it felt extremely easy for me to go.”

“Sometimes I get it right; sometimes I get it wrong. If I get it right, it feels extremely easy. Normally I don’t have the best start, but more will come on it.”

The 2014 Commonwealth Games double gold medallist added that she would ensure she add the long jump to her events this season.

“I will also be doing the long jump because I just want to see how far I can jump,” the 26-year-old, whose current personal best in the event is 7.00m, which she produced in 2013.