Blazing Glory! Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma Dazzle At Texas Sprint Showdown

Favour Ofili made her return to competitive athletics amid swirling rumours of a possible switch from Nigeria to Turkey, reportedly due to dissatisfaction with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).

This marked her first race since breaking the women’s 150m world record at the Adidas Atlanta City Games, where she clocked an astonishing 15.85 seconds.

Competing at the ATX Sprint Classic in Texas, Ofili—Nigeria’s 200m record holder with a time of 21.96s—won her 100m heat in 10.87s, setting a new personal best and surpassing her previous record of 10.94s. She edged out American sprinter Kayla White, who finished in 11.07s.

The 22-year-old wasn’t the only Nigerian at the meet. Rosemary Chukwuma and Success Umukoro also competed in the 100m heats. Chukwuma impressed by winning her heat with a time of 10.93s, beating American Gabby Thomas. Umukoro, however, did not advance to the final, finishing third in her heat with a time of 11.43s.

In the final, 23-year-old Chukwuma—who had set a season-best time—finished 5th with a time of 10.98s, narrowly missing a podium spot.

Both Chukwuma and Ofili have qualified to represent Nigeria at the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo, Japan later this year.