FAVOUR Ofili has become the first athlete from Nigeria to advance to the final in track and field after a composed performance in her women’s 200m semi-final tonight.
The 21-year-old, who was cruelly denied a chance in 100m by a mix-up between the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Olympic Committee, secured one of the automatic tickets into tomorrow’s final.
Competing in the first semi-final heat, Ofili ran a controlled race to finish second in a season’s best time of 22.05 seconds, with 100m champion, Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia, winning in 21.98s.
Ofili’s impressive timing not only earned a spot in the final in her first-ever Olympics, it was also the third best of all eight finalists.
The United States of America-based Ofili is the first Nigerian woman to qualify for the final of the 200m at the Olympics since 1996, in 28 years ago when Mary Onyali went on to win bronze.
The leading qualifying time tonight for the final was run by favourite Gabrielle Thomas of the United States of America, who won her semi-final in 21.86s.
Alfred’s 21.98s is the second best, followed by Ofili (22.05s), who holds the Nigerian 200m record of 21.96s.
USA’s Brittany Brown has the fourth best time of 22.12s, followed by Darryl Neita (22.24s), USA’s McKenzie Long (22.30s), Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith (22.31s) and Cote d’Ivoire’s Jessica Gbai (22.36).
The women’s 200m final comes up tomorrow night with Alfred chasing a sensational sprint double while Ofili hopes to clinch her first Olympic medal and emulate Onyali.
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