Nigeria's greatest hope for a medal at the African Championships, Blessing Okagbare lived up to expectation when she blew away the field to win the women 100m gold in Nairobi, Kenya yesterday.She ran 11.03 seconds to top the women in the hotly contested race.

There were three false starts and that was a measure of the pressure that enveloped the athletes at the starting blocks. But at the finish line, Okagbare was staring back at her fellow competitors, she set a new championships record, which bettered Mary Onyali's 11.05 seconds, that was set at the 1998 edition in Dakar, Senegal.

Zang Milama chased Okagbare to the finish, but the highly rated Gabonese found Okagbare's pace too blistering to cope with. Milama finished at 11.15 seconds, while 2008 defending champion, Damola Osayomi was third with 11.22 seconds.

"I had a race of my life. I knew it was going to be difficult and my intention was not to break the record but to win the race. I thank God I have achieved it in African soil," said Okagbare.

It was a different story for the men.

Mobil track and field championships winner, Obinna Metu failed to live up to his pre-championships boast that he was not afraid of big time races. He placed a distant seventh with 10.31 seconds in the men's 100m won by Ivorian Ben Youssef Meite with a time of 10.08 seconds. He was followed up by Ghana's Aziz Zakare with 10.12, while South Africa's Simone Magakwe took the bronze with 10.14. Nigeria's other entrant, Ogho-Oghene Egwero placed fifth with 10. 26 seconds.

"It was a surprise to us that we did not find ourselves in the medal zone. But we are happy that the women won gold," said AFN member, Omatsheye Nesiama.

Nesiama, a Nigeria Navy Captain, added that concentration will now be on 4Ã-100m relay, which will be decided on Saturday, Nigeria has qualified for the final in the men and women event.

In the women's 100m hurdles Nigeria's Seun Adigun dusted the women to win her first international gold for Nigeria. Adigun who did get into the medal zone in Ethiopia 2008, did not make any mistakes over the sticks in Nairobi. She finished in 13.14 seconds, season's best to put a smile on her father's face. He has always given her total support.

Nigeria's Saul Weigopua and Sade Abughan will search for the gold in the men and women 400m final, that will be decided today.