AFCON 2025
Blessing Okagbare is a Nigerian sprint legend and one of the biggest names in African athletics over the last decade. Okagbare won loads of laurels representing Nigeria at the Olympics, the World Championships, the Commonwealth Games, the African Games, among other major competitions.
Okagbare holds the Commonwealth Games record in the Women’s 100m at 10.85 sec, which she achieved at the 2014 edition of the games in Glasgow, Scotland. She also won a gold medal at the 200m event at the games at a time of 22.25 seconds, beating the English duo of Jodie Williams and Bianca Williams to the finish line.
The sprint queen dominated the African scene during her prime with nine gold medals across different events, including sprints, long jump, and the relays between 2011 and 2014. Blessing Okagbare once held the African 100m record with a time of 10.79 seconds until Côte d’Ivoire’s Murielle Ahouré broke it in 2016. On June 17, 2021, Okagbare ran a wind-assisted 10.63 seconds.
In 2018, she set the African 200m record at 22.04 seconds, becoming the continent’s second-fastest woman over the distance behind Christine Mboma. Okagbare was also the African champion in both the 100m and long jump in 2010.
Unfortunately, Blessing Okagbare’s career nose-dived in 2022 after she was found guilty of multiple breaches of the World Athletics Anti-doping rules. She is currently serving a 10-year ban, which expires in 2032.
Blessing Okagbare remains a legend of Nigerian Athletics and an African icon as well, given her achievements over the years representing Nigeria in long jump, the relays, and sprint.
This post examines Blessing Okagbare’s background, career, achievements, net worth, ban, relationship status, among other vital information about the 36-year-old athlete who has been out of action since 2022.
Blessing Okagbare holds a Guinness World record for the most IAAF Diamond League appearances – 67.
Background
Blessing Okagbare hails from Sapele, Delta State, Nigeria, and she is an Urhobo woman. She got recognized for her athletic potential even though she initially played football before switching to track and field in 2004. Okagbare excelled in multiple events, winning medals in the long jump, triple jump, and high jump at Nigerian school championships. Blessing Okagbare won a triple jump bronze at the 2004 Nigerian National Sports Festival.
Okagbare made her international debut at the 2006 World Junior Championships, competing in long and triple jump qualifiers. In 2007, she set a Nigerian triple jump record (14.13m) at the All-Africa Games trials. At the main event, she secured long jump silver but finished fourth in triple jump after her record was surpassed by Chinonye Ohadugha (14.21m).
How old is Blessing Okagbare?
Blessing Okagbare is 36 years old as of June 2025. She was born on 9 October 1988 in Sapele, Delta State, South South, Nigeria.
How tall is Okagbare?
The former Nigerian athlete is 5 ft 11 inches tall, and she weighs 71 kg. She would have been a footballer, probably as a defender or striker for the Super Falcons, but made a switch to track and field, where she has penned her name in history already.
Blessing Okagbare parents
She was born to Mr. Francis Okagbare and Mrs. Margaret Okagbare.
Blessing Okagbare Career Summary
Blessing Okagbare: Olympic and African Medals Summary
- At 19, Okagbare won silver in the long jump at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She later dominated the 2010 African Championships, securing three golds (100m, long jump, 4×100m relay).
- In 2011, she placed 5th in the 100m at the World Championships but won three medals at the All-Africa Games (100m silver, long jump gold, 4×100m gold).
- At the 2012 Olympics, she set a 100m PB (10.92s) but finished 8th in the final.
- 2013 was her breakthrough year: she set African records in the 100m (10.79s) and won World Championships silver in the long jump (6.99m).
- At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, she won a historic 100m and 200m double gold, breaking the Games record (10.85s).
- In 2015, she helped set an African 4×200m relay record but missed key events due to injury.
- Her 2016 Rio Olympics performance was disappointing as she made no finals.
- At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she won her 100m heat but was suspended for doping (human growth hormone).
Career Achievements.
| Olympic Games | ||
| 2008 Beijing | Long jump | |
| World Championships | ||
| 2013 Moscow | Long jump | |
| 2013 Moscow | 200 m | |
| Commonwealth Games | ||
| 2014 Glasgow | 100 m | |
| 2014 Glasgow | 200 m | |
| 2014 Glasgow | 4×100 m relay | |
| 2018 Gold Coast | 4×100 m relay | |
| All-Africa Games | ||
| 2011 Maputo | Long jump | |
| 2011 Maputo | 4×100 m relay | |
| 2015 Brazzaville | 4×100 m relay | |
| 2007 Algiers | Long jump | |
| 2011 Maputo | 100 m | |
| African Championships | ||
| 2010 Nairobi | 100 m | |
| 2010 Nairobi | Long jump | |
| 2010 Nairobi | 4×100 m relay | |
| 2014 Marrakesh | 100 m | |
| 2014 Marrakesh | 4×100 m relay | |
| 2018 Asaba | 4×100 m relay | |
| 2012 Benin | 100 m | |
| World Relays | ||
| 2015 Nassau | 4×200 m relay | |
| Continental Cup | ||
| 2010 Split | 100 m | |
Okagbare doping ban
In 2022, Blessing Okagbare received a 10-year ban for multiple anti-doping violations. During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Okagbare suffered a catastrophic setback when she failed a drug test on 31 July 2021, testing positive for human growth hormone (HGH).
On 18 February 2022, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) handed her a 10-year ban—backdated to 30 July 2021—for multiple doping violations. Investigations revealed she had used HGH and EPO over an extended period and refused to cooperate with authorities.
The ban, one of the harshest in track and field, effectively ended her career in disappointment. Also, the AIU, in June 2022, extended her suspension by a further year for additional anti-doping violations, sealing her fate as one of Nigeria’s finest athletes in recent history.
Is Blessing Okagbare married? Who is Blessing Okagbare’s husband?
The ex-track and field athlete is married and has a child. Blessing Okagbare once married former Nigerian football player Ighoteguonor Otegheri in September 2014. The ex-couple were married for about four years until they parted ways in 2018. Okagbare reportedly accused him of laziness, infidelity, and irreconcilable differences.
What does Okagbare do now?
Blessing Okagbare volunteers as a track and field coach at Texas Tech University, helping to nurture young athletic talents.
Net worth
Blessing Okagbare is worth about $6 million. Most of her earnings come from her professional career as a former athlete.
Social Media
Blessing Okagbare is X with over 20K followers. She is also on Instagram with over 28K followers.
As part of her contributions to sports and achievements, Blessing Okagbare holds a national honor as Member of the Federal Republic, MFR, conferred on her in 2014 by former president of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
