The first of this season’s IAAF Diamond League finals took place at the Letzigrund Stadium, in Zurich, Switzerland, on Thursday as Blessing Okagbare continued her season-long consistency to emerge runner-up behind Great Britain’s Shara Proctor in the long jumps.
Three-time World champion Brittney Reese (6.37m) was never a factor on a night of modest distances, when Proctor found her 6.88m (-0.3m/s) leap enough to beat Okagbare’s 6.76m (-0.8m/s) to the Diamond Race trophy. Serbia’s Ivana Spanovic claimed the third spot with 6.73m (-0.3m/s).
Multi-talented Nigerian athlete, Okagbare, began the 2013/14 athletic season with the similar commitment with which she posted impressive victories the last time round.
The second seed athlete, who now looks on to the second of the 2013 IAAF Diamond League billed for Brussels next week, remained in contention, despite the herculean challenge of the World Championships- where she competed in the 100m, 200m, and the long jump- earlier this month.
However, Proctor, who wasn’t on the podium in Moscow, won the night and became a Diamond League champion but the Nigerian proved she remains the athlete to beat.
