Ofili breaks African 200m record, qualifies for Olympics

Nigerian athletes continued their impressive run at the weekend, with Favour Ofili breaking the African record in the women’s 200m indoors event at the SEC Indoor Championships, Fayetteville, USA Saturday evening.

The 18-year-old ran 22.75s to break the 22.80s African record set by Ivorian Murielle Ahouré at the NCAA Division I Championships, March 2009.

Ofili’s time was also the fourth best in the NCAA and the third fastest in her school – LSU – history.

The time met the 2020 Olympics 22.89secs qualifying standard for the women’s 200m event.

The 2019 African Youth champion placed third overall as the first heat was won by Abby Steiner in 22.50s, while Tamara Clark was second in an SB of 22.70s.

Ruth Usoro had also qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in the women’s long jump and triple jump events while competing at the Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championship Sports Performance Center, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas.

The PUNCH reported that Usoro leapt 6.82m to win the long jump Friday evening.

She later leapt a distance of 14.36m in the women’s triple jump event, breaking the Nigerian record in the process.