Paris 2024: Ofili defies odds, qualifies for 200m finals

Nigeria’s sensation Favour Ofili inched one step closer to realising her Olympic dream after qualifying for the final of women’s 200m at Paris 2024. Ofili finished second with a season’s best of 22.05s, just behind Julien Alfred who won the race, crossing the line in a time of 21.98s. The 21-year-old couldn’t compete in the […]

Nigeria’s sensation Favour Ofili inched one step closer to realising her Olympic dream after qualifying for the final of women’s 200m at Paris 2024.

Ofili finished second with a season’s best of 22.05s, just behind Julien Alfred who won the race, crossing the line in a time of 21.98s.

The 21-year-old couldn’t compete in the women’s 100m after she was not registered by officials of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC).

The Delta-State-born athlete said she was determined to showcase her talents at the Games.

Following her qualification, Ofili became the first Nigerian woman to qualify for the 200m final in 28 years.

The last time a Nigerian made the final of women’s 200m was in Atlanta 1996 when Mary Onyali won a bronze medal, a year Ofili was not even born.

Meanwhile, wrestler Blessing Oborududu lost her semi-final fight against Meerim Zhumanazarova of Kyrgyzstan. She lost 3-1 in the women’s freestyle 68kg category.

The 35-year-old had endured a challenging start to the Games, conceding two points in the opening three minutes against Canada’s Linda Morais.

However, she staged a remarkable comeback, scoring six unanswered points in the second half of the match. The impressive turnaround secured an 8-2 victory for the Nigerian wrestler, propelling her into the penultimate round of the competition. Oborodudu then delivered a commanding performance, defeating France’s Koumba Larroque 6-2 in a fiercely contested quarterfinal bout.

The match saw Oborodudu overcome a challenging start, as she initially trailed earlier on. However, she demonstrated her resilience and skill, taking a 3-2 lead before ultimately sealing the victory with a 6-2 scoreline for a semi-final berth.

Following her loss, Oborodudu is now set for a repechage mini-tournament where she will vie for one of the two bronze medals available.