Julius Okorie
Nigeria’s hard fighting Favour Ofili finished 6th as the much awaited 200m women final took place Tuesday night in Paris. Ofili finished with the time of 22.24s.
Recall that Ofili came first in her heat in the semifinals leading to the final. It was however America’s Gabrielle Thomas that clinched victory with a time of 21.83.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelJulien Alfred who had earlier emerged 100m champion finished second in the 200m with a time of 22.08 while B. Brown clinched Bronze after finishing with a time of 22.20.
By winning the 200m race, America thus clinched the 100m men Noah Lyle and Thomas in 200m women. Ofili gave her all and deserves a pat on the back especially considering the controversy that surrounded her exclusion from the 100m race.
Already there are plans by the Minister of Sports to query the AFN and the NOC over the blunder on their return from Paris after the Olympics which ends August 11.
READ ALSO: BREAKING: Women 200M: Nigeria’s Ofili Qualifies for Final!
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s sprint star Samuel Ogazi is keeping hope alive after qualifying for men’s 400m
Ogazi, 19, running in the third semi-final, clinched third place with an impressive time of 44.41 seconds, earning him a spot in the final and setting a new personal best.
The semi-final race was dominated by Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain, who won with a time of 44.07 seconds, while Michael Norman of the USA secured second place with a time of 44.26 seconds.
The University of Alabama undergraduate it will be recalled won the 200m and 400m titles at the 2023 African U18 and U20 Championships in Athletics in Ndola, Zambia.
He also bagged gold in both the 200m and 400m at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago, and set a new games record with his Nigerian team in the mixed 4x100m relay, an indication that he will battle to finish against opponents.
The men’s 400m holds on Wednesday August 7, 2024 at 21.20 local Paris time.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
