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Nigerian sprint star Favour Ofili continues to redefine African athletics, making headlines globally after becoming the first African woman to run the 150 meters in under 16.30 seconds. The 21-year-old accomplished this historic feat at the Adidas Atlanta City Games in May 2024, clocking an astonishing 16.30 seconds to break the African record and cement her place among the fastest sprinters in the world.
Though the 150-meter dash is not a standard event at the Olympics or World Championships, it serves as a thrilling test of raw speed and transition endurance, sitting between the 100 meters and 200 meters. Ofili’s performance was electric as she matched American sprinter Candace Hill’s time of 16.30 seconds in a closely contested race. After a photo finish review, Hill was declared the winner by a razor-thin margin of 0.006 seconds, but Ofili’s result was nonetheless historic beating the previous African best of 16.60 seconds set by Côte d’Ivoire’s Marie-Josée Ta Lou.
Born on December 31, 2002, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, Favour Chukwuka Ofili began her athletic journey in 2014. She quickly rose to prominence by claiming gold in both the 200m and 400m at the 2019 African U18 Championships in Abidjan. That same year, she was selected to represent Nigeria at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, becoming the youngest athlete at the meet at just 16 years old.
Ofili further developed her talent at Louisiana State University (LSU), where she quickly became one of the standout stars of NCAA track and field. In April 2022, she broke Nigeria’s national 200-meter record previously held by Blessing Okagbare by running 21.96 seconds at the Tom Jones Invitational in Gainesville, Florida. That time also made her the first female NCAA athlete to go sub-22 seconds in the 200m and remains one of the fastest times in collegiate history.
Her indoor track career has also been remarkable. Ofili holds the Nigerian indoor 200m record with a time of 22.11 seconds and has won multiple medals at the NCAA level, including SEC titles and podium finishes at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
The Adidas Atlanta City Games served as a preview of the explosive talent set to dominate the Paris 2024 Olympics, and Ofili’s performance was a statement. As she continues to build toward the biggest stage in athletics, her consistency, speed, and competitive edge make her a top contender not just in Africa, but globally.
Favour Ofili’s remarkable achievements reflect the evolution of Nigerian and African sprinting. Her trailblazing performance in the 150m not only earned her a new record but also served as a powerful inspiration for the next generation of African athletes, especially young women pursuing excellence in track and field.
As the world looks ahead to the Olympic season, all eyes will be on Ofili Nigeria’s sprint queen who has proven she’s not just chasing records, she’s making them.
