Favour Ofili advances to Women’s 200m final at Paris 2024 Olympics

Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili has made history by securing a spot in the final of the women’s 200m at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Ofili finished second in the semifinals with a season’s best time of 22.05s, just behind Julien Alfred, who won the first semifinal with a time of 21.98s.

With this achievement, Ofili becomes the first Nigerian since Mary Onyali to qualify for the 200m final at the Olympics.

Onyali remains the only Nigerian to have made it to the podium in this event, setting a high standard for future athletes.

In the men’s 200m, Udodi Onwuzurike will have a chance to join the ranks of Nigerian sprinters reaching the semifinals. After finishing fifth in his initial heat with a time of 20.55s, Onwuzurike will compete in the Repechage Round, which offers a second chance for athletes who did not secure automatic semifinal spots.

Divine Oduduru, who reached the semifinals in 2016 and 2021, was the last Nigerian to advance to the semifinals but did not make it to the final.