Ofili, Ogazi Advance To Semifinals In Impressive Fashion

Favour Ofili secures semifinal spot in women’s 200m as Okezie seeks alternate route to 400m semis

Despite facing criticism for her exclusion from the women’s 100m race, Favour Ofili delivered an outstanding performance in the women’s 200m event at the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympic Games. She finished first in her heat, clocking a time of 22.24 seconds to secure a place in the semifinal stage.

Known as the Star Girl, Ofili outpaced Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith and Gina Bass-Bittaye of The Gambia, who finished second and third respectively with times of 22.28 seconds and 22.84 seconds.

In the men’s 400m race, Samuel Ogazi made history by becoming the first Nigerian male quarter-miler to qualify for the 400m semifinals at the Olympics in the last 24 years. Ogazi ran a new personal best of 44.50 seconds and finished in second place to secure his spot in the semis. Quincy Hall of the United States won the race with a time of 44.28 seconds.

Chidi Okezie, another Nigerian athlete in the men’s 400m, narrowly missed an automatic spot in the semifinals as he finished fourth in his heat with a time of 45.52 seconds. He will have another chance to make it to the semis through the Repechage round.