Nigeria’s star athlete, Favour Ofili, narrowly missed out on winning a medal in the women’s 200m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old finished sixth, clocking 22.24 seconds, in a race dominated by the USA’s Gabby Thomas, who claimed her first individual Olympic gold medal with a time of 21.83 seconds.
Competing in a highly competitive final, Ofili faced some of the world’s best sprinters.
Despite starting strong from lane 9, one of the most challenging lanes, she was unable to secure a podium finish.
Gabby Thomas’s exceptional strength and speed endurance saw her storm to the finish line, recording an impressive 21.83 seconds.
Julien Alfred, the newly crowned Olympic 100m champion, secured her second medal of the Games with a silver in 22.08 seconds.
USA’s Brittany Brown claimed the bronze, finishing in 22.20 seconds.
Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth with the same time as Brown. Her compatriot, Daryll Neita, placed fifth in 22.22 seconds, just ahead of Ofili.
Despite not medaling, Ofili made history by becoming the first Nigerian to reach the Olympic 200m final in 28 years, marking an impressive debut at the Games.
Her performance in Paris is a promising start to what looks to be a bright and successful athletic career.
Similarly, Blessing Oborududu’s quest for a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics ended in disappointment as she was defeated 3-0 by Japan’s Nonoka Ozaki in the bronze medal bout of the Women’s Freestyle 68kg category.
Oborududu, who had won a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, was among Team Nigeria’s top hopes for a podium finish at the Summer Games.
The 35-year-old wrestler’s performance in Paris fell short of expectations as she struggled against her Japanese opponent, failing to score any points.
Despite her best efforts, Oborududu could not match Ozaki’s prowess on the mat.
This defeat marks a significant moment in Oborududu’s Olympic journey, which began with high hopes following her historic silver medal in Tokyo.
Her experience and determination were evident, but on this occasion, it was not enough to secure a medal for Nigeria.
