Nigeria’s Favour Ofili was in tears after storming into the final of the women’s 200m race at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Ofili secured her spot in the final by claiming the second automatic qualification spot in her heat on Monday, reigniting Nigeria’s hopes for a medal at the Games.
She finished with a season’s best of 22.05 seconds, just behind St Lucia’s Julien Alfred – the 100m champion – who crossed the line in 21.98 seconds. The United States’ Mary Long finished third with a time of 22.30 seconds.
Ofili is the first Nigerian to reach the 200m final since Mary Onyali, who achieved the milestone at the Atlanta ’96 Games. Born in 2002, six years after Onyali’s feat, Ofili will aim to better her compatriot’s bronze-winning performance. The final is scheduled for today, Tuesday, at 8:40 pm.
Ofili’s groundbreaking race comes after she was omitted from the 100m race due to administrative lapses.