Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili narrowly missed a podium finish in the women’s 200m final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, finishing sixth in the race. The 21-year-old clocked a time of 22.24 seconds, just four-hundredths of a second behind bronze medalist Brittany Brown of the USA.
Gabrielle Thomas of the United States claimed gold with a time of 21.83 seconds, followed by, Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred secured the silver medal with 22.08 seconds.
Brittany Brown completed the podium, taking the bronze with a time of 22.20 seconds. Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Ofili had qualified for the final with the third-best time overall in the semi-finals, making her the first Nigerian to compete in the event’s final since Mary Onyali in 1996 Atlanta.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on a podium finish, Ofili’s performance is a testament to her talent and potential. Her focus now shifts to the women’s 4x100m relay, scheduled for Thursday where she aims to contribute to the Nigerian team’s medal hopes.
Also, Nigeria’s Samuel Ogazi qualified for the final of the men’s 400m.
Team Nigeria still has several chances of clinching gold medals at the ongoing Paris Olympics, with Ese Brume, Ruth Usoro, and Prestina Ochonogor all securing their places in the final of the long jump event.
