Nigeria’s Favour Ofili broke down in tears of joy after securing a place in the final of the 200m race at the 2024 Paris Olympics, reigniting hopes for Nigeria to clinch a medal in athletics at the Games.
Ofili earned her spot in the final by claiming the second automatic qualifying position on Monday, clocking a season’s best time of 22.05 seconds. She finished behind St Lucia’s Julien Alfred, the 100m champion, who crossed the line in 21.98 seconds. The United States’ Mary Long took third place with a time of 22.30 seconds.
Ofili’s achievement marks a significant milestone for Nigeria, as she becomes the first Nigerian athlete to reach the 200m final since Mary Onyali’s iconic run at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. Born in 2002, six years after Onyali’s remarkable feat, Ofili is now poised to potentially surpass her compatriot’s bronze-medal performance. The highly anticipated final is scheduled for Wednesday at 8:40 pm.
This triumph is particularly poignant for Ofili, whose path to the 200m race was paved with challenges, including her omission from the 100m race due to administrative lapses. Her resilience and determination have now positioned her as a beacon of hope for Nigerian athletics.
In another thrilling development for Team Nigeria, Blessing Oborududu has advanced to the semi-finals of the 68kg women’s freestyle wrestling event. Oborududu showcased her dominance by defeating Linda Morais of Canada with a score of 8-2 in the first round, and subsequently overcoming France’s Koumba Larrouque 6-2 in the quarter-final. She is set to face Azerbaijan’s Zhumanazarova Meerim later on Monday.
