Ofili Heads to Lausanne with Renewed Hope, Enekwechi Battles Fabbri for Spot in Shot Put Final

After delivering a string of electrifying performances in Silesia, Nigeria’s top track and field athletes — Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Nathaniel Ezekiel, and Chukwuebuka Enekwechi — are set to light up the track once again at the 50th edition of Athletissima, the 13th leg of the 2025 Wanda Diamond League, in Lausanne, Switzerland.

With the Diamond League final in Zurich looming, the quartet heads into the meet with confidence, ambition, and in some cases, a last chance to secure their place among the world’s elite.

Leading the charge is Tobi Amusan, who reaffirmed her status as one of the world’s premier hurdlers with a blistering 12.25s run in the 100m hurdles in Silesia — her second-fastest sub-12.30 performance of the season.

The reigning Nigerian, African Games, and Commonwealth Games champion placed third in that race, securing her qualification for the Diamond League final in Zurich later this month.

Now 28, Amusan will use the Lausanne meet to fine-tune her race strategy as she sets her sights on reclaiming the Diamond League crown she once held. Her consistency and resilience have kept her firmly in the global conversation, and a victory on Wednesday would provide a timely boost to her confidence ahead of the Zurich showdown.

Joining her in Lausanne is rising sprint sensation Favour Ofili, who stormed to a third-place finish in the 200m in Silesia, clocking 22.25s in only her second-ever Diamond League appearance.

The 22-year-old has been added to the 200m roster in Lausanne and will compete with renewed hope, knowing that a second-place finish would earn her seven points — enough to catapult her from 13th to eighth in the standings and secure a coveted lane in the Zurich final.

With six points already in the bag and the confirmed absences of key contenders Rhasidat Adeleke, Jenna Prandini, Julien Alfred, and Gbai Jessika, Ofili’s path to qualification is clearer than ever.

Her explosive speed and growing confidence make her one to watch as she aims to seize the moment and announce herself on the Diamond League stage.

Nathaniel Ezekiel, meanwhile, arrives in Lausanne riding the momentum of a historic performance in Silesia, where he shattered the Nigerian national record in the 400m hurdles with a time of 47.31s to finish second.

Though the 400m hurdles is not on the Lausanne Diamond League program and Ezekiel narrowly missed out on Zurich qualification — placing ninth in the standings — the 22-year-old has earned the right to mingle with the event’s elite.

His focus now shifts to the 20th World Championships in Tokyo next month, where he hopes to become the first Nigerian in 38 years to reach the final of the 400m hurdles, following in the footsteps of Henry Amike in 1987.

With his sights set on making history and possibly standing on the podium, Ezekiel’s Lausanne outing will serve as a crucial steppingstone in his journey.

For shot putter Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, Lausanne represents a final opportunity to fight his way into the Zurich final after a disappointing seventh-place finish in Silesia.

The 32-year-old sits just outside the qualification zone and must outperform Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri, who currently holds sixth place in the standings. Enekwechi has a competitive edge in their rivalry, having won 11 of their 31 head-to-head clashes — including three victories in 2025.

With everything on the line, the Nigerian veteran will need to summon his best form to reclaim his spot among the Diamond League’s elite and keep his season alive.