Ofili Back on Track After World Athletics Blocks Turkey Switch
Favour Ofili will be back on the track Friday at the Percy Beard Track in Gainesville, Florida, competing at the Tom Jones Memorial just a day after World Athletics denied her request to change allegiance from Nigeria to Türkiye.
The 23‑year‑old sprinter, who was a 200m finalist at the Paris 2024 Olympics, had sought to leave Nigeria over what she described as administrative and technical incompetence on the part of AFN officials and a lack of adequate welfare, in favor of a system that promised her $10,000 a month until the 2028 Olympics.
Ofili is registered to run in the Women’s 200m Olympic Development event, where she has been drawn in the first of six heats.
She will face a strong lineup that includes former 200m world champion Dina Asher‑Smith, alongside other stars, with the obvious target being the current world lead of 22.09 seconds set by Cambrea Sturgis of the USA.
Also in Florida, Nigerian athletes will feature prominently in the Women’s 200m Invite.
Precious Nzeakor and Olayinka Olajide have been drawn in lanes eight and nine in the second of six heats, while Esther Joseph and Success Oyibu, who broke 23 seconds last week with a 22.99 run, are in lanes six and eight in the following heat.
New Nigerian shot put record holder Jessica Oji of University of Pennsylvania is also lined up for action in her event on Friday.
On the men’s side, Joshua Caleb of LSU and Olaolu Olatunde of Iowa will compete in the 200m Invite.
