Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili has made history by qualifying for the final of the women’s 200m race at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Ofili, who was in tears after the race, finished with a season’s best time of 22.05s, securing the second automatic spot behind St Lucia’s Julien Alfred.
This achievement marks a significant milestone for Nigeria, as Ofili becomes the first Nigerian to reach the final of the women’s 200m event since Mary Onyali at the Atlanta ’96 games. Born in 2002, six years after Onyali’s feat, Ofili aims to better her compatriot’s bronze-winning run.
The final is scheduled for Wednesday at 8:40 pm. Ofili’s groundbreaking race comes after she was omitted from the 100m race due to administrative lapses.
In other news, Blessing Oborududu has advanced to the semi-finals of the 68kg women’s freestyle wrestling event, defeating Linda Morais of Canada and France’s Koumba Larrouque in the quarter-final.
Ofili’s qualification has reignited Nigeria’s hopes for a medal at the Games, and her determination to succeed will be closely watched in the final.
