Ofili captured on video crying after missing the 200m podium with no Nigerian official in sight
Favour Ofili could not hold back the tears after coming sixth in the 200m final Tuesday night at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Nigerian had looked to be in the best shape possible to fight for one of the three medals on offer and had been tipped to end Nigeria’s 28 year wait for an Olympic 200m medal after Mary Onyali first did in 1996 in Atlanta.
In fact, the 21-year-old looked a sure bet for at least the bronze medal after running 22.05, her fastest time since she ran 22.04 and 21.96 in 2022.
It was also the third fastest in qualifying behind the 21.86 ran by Gabrielle Thomas of the USA and 21.98 by Julien Alfred.
Apparently neglected by Nigerian athletics officials as evident in the viral video, Ofili did not fully recover from the trauma of missing an event she has used the whole of pre-Paris Olympics preparing for, more than the 200m she ran thrice.
She was not registered for the 100m event by the negligent AFN officials coupled with a bark but cannot bite promise by John Enoh, the Sports Development Minister, to punish those who committed he schoolboy error.
Ofili ran 22.24 in the final but it was not enough to fetch her a podium appearance and, like an orphan, she was left without the most important people at that moment to console her.
