Veteran 400m runner, Patience Okon-George, has declared that she is not in a hurry to quit athletics for now. Okon-George, representing Cross River State, on Monday evening, set a new National Sports Festival record with a time of 51.64 seconds at the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival in Ogun State.
 
She also broke the 51.70 seconds run set by Imaobong Nse Uko of Akwa Ibom at Edo 2020 Sports Festival.
Okon-Geoge, who competed at the 2015 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, China, as well as Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil, said: “I still have a lot to offer in athletics. I am excited about winning the gold and also setting a Festival record and personal best here in Ogun. I really worked so hard for it.”
 
At the last edition of the National Sports Festival held in Asaba, Delta State in 2022, Okon-George was beaten to the gold medal by United States-based Elo Esther Joseph.
 
This time around in Abeokuta, Okon-George coasted home unchallenged to finish 51.64secs, and in the process celebrated her first National Sports Festival 400m gold medal. It was also a new personal best for Okon-George; her previous mark was 51.71secs she ran in 2015.
 
Her closest rival in the 400m final on Monday was Happy Rasheed of Rivers State who clocked 53.95 secs to settle for silver, just as Team Lagos’ Miracle Uwem Donald finished 54.20 secs to settle for bronze.