Duro Ikhazuagbe reporting live from Paris
Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili has made a remarkable breakthrough in the women’s 200m event at the Olympic Games, becoming the first Nigerian woman in 28 years to qualify for the final.
After the controversy of being initially omitted from the 100m event, Ofili has once again shown her prowess by running a season’s best time of 22.05 seconds, securing her place in the final to be held at Stade de France on Tuesday.
During the semifinal, Ofili finished behind Julien Alfred of St Lucia, the 100m Olympic champion with a time of 21.98 seconds, who is now pursuing a double victory in the games.
The last Nigerian woman to achieve this feat was Mary Onyali, who won a bronze medal in the event at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
With her impressive performance, Ofili is currently ranked as the third fastest overall in the women’s 200m event, raising hopes of a potential medal.
In other news, Nigerian athlete Ezekiel Nathaniel has secured a spot in the semi-finals of the Men’s 400m Hurdles.
Finishing second in heat 4 with a time of 48.32 seconds, Nathaniel has secured an automatic spot in the semi-final round.
Jamaica’s Roshawn Clarke won the race with a time of 48.17 seconds, while Wilfried Happio claimed the last automatic spot with a time of 48.42 seconds.
This performance marks the fourth fastest time that Ezekiel has achieved in the 400m Hurdles.
Discover more from Tension News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.