By Victor Kanayo
Nigeria’s sprint star, Favour Ofili, is through to Women’s 200m final at the ongoing 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.
This was after she emerged second in the first semi-final heat. Specifically, Ofili returned in 22. 05sec, her season best of the year.
She improved her 22.24 secs run in the quarter-final.
Brightened Medal Chance
Her performance has brightened Nigeria’s chances of picking a medal in the sprints.
Women 100m champion Julien Alfred came first with 21.98 seconds to mark herself as favourite for the title.
Gabby Thomas, however, ran the fastest time of the semi-final with 21.86 seconds run, to be the clear favourite leading to the final.
Brittney Brown also of the USA is another podium contender she posted 22.12, while Briton Daryll Neita posted 22.24.
Ofili‘s achievement is historic, as she becomes the first Nigerian woman to reach the 200m final at the Olympic Games since Mary Onyali’s bronze medal-winning performance at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
The young sprinter’s journey to the final has been particularly impressive, given the administrative challenges she faced before the Games, which prevented her from competing in the women’s 100m event.
Wrestling Slip
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Blessing Oborududu failed to qualify for the final of the women’s 68kg wrestling event on Monday night after losing her semi-final bout.
The outcome of the bout meant Oborodudu couldn’t do better than her silver-winning display at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after losing 3-1 to Kyrgyzstani’s Meerim Zhumanazarova.
To possibly lay hands on medal, Oborodudu will fight in a repechage mini-tournament where she will vie for one of the two bronze available.
