Ofili back as Grand Slam Track Challenger as Amusan confirmed for Diamond League Meeting in Shanghai
Favour Ofili is back for real and will compete in the second leg of the money-spinning Grand Slam Track, the global home of professional track competition launched last year by four-time Olympic Champion Michael Johnson.
The Nigerian who ran all the way to the final of the 200m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics was initially scheduled to compete at the opening leg of the competition in Kingston, Jamaica early this month but was scratched out a few days to the event.
This time, the Nigerian 200m indoor and outdoor record holder is locked in to compete in the short sprint events (100m and 200m) where a $100,000 top prize money is on offer.
Ofili will contest for the top prize with Olympic 200m champion, Gabby Thomas, Brittany Brown, Daryll Neita, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Tamari Davis, Jacious Sears and Kayla White.
Thomas competed in the long sprint (200m and 400m) in Kingston but has stepped down to the short sprint where she stands out as the overwhelming favourite to win the top prize money.
Ofili will be making history as the first full-blooded Nigerian to compete in the Grand Slam Track while Nigeria-born Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain will still be competing in the long sprint events.
She ran a world leading 48.67 to win the 400m event in Kingston to make a huge statement ahead of the battle for the 20th World Athletics Championships’ full lap gold in Tokyo, Japan.
She will be renewing her rivalry with reigning World and Olympic champion, Marileidy Paulino.
Meanwhile, Tobi Amusan has been confirmed for the second leg of the 15-leg 2025 Wanda Diamond League in Shanghai on May 3.
Amusan will open her Diamond League campaign in Xiamen, China on April 26 before making the short trip to Shanghai (Suzhou) just like she did last year.
This time, the Nigerian, who was 28 on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 will want to banish the ghost of the ugly incident in Suzhou/Shanghai last year when she ran under protest after she was adjudged to have false started.
Amusan won the race but it did not count as her protest was ostensibly thrown out.
The World 100m hurdles record holder has a chance to get 16 points and move ahead in the race for the Diamond League Final where she will have the chance to reclaim the Diamond League Trophy she lost without a fight last year in Brussels, Belgium.
The 2025 Wanda Diamond League Final will be held at Weltklasse Zurich on August 27-28.
