Favour Ofili will compete in the women’s 200m final at the Paris 2024 Olympics this evening.
Ofili aims to make history as the first Nigerian to win an individual medal in a track event at the Olympics since Gloria Alozie earned silver in the women’s 100m hurdles at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Additionally, she hopes to become the youngest Nigerian athlete to win an individual medal in a track event at the Olympics, at just 21 years old.
Although the absence of Tokyo 2020 Olympics champion Elaine Thompson-Herah and reigning World champions Sha’Carri Richardson and Shericka Jackson is a significant advantage, Ofili—who is the youngest finalist—will still face strong competition from seven other contenders.
Ofili qualified for the final as the third fastest, behind USA’s Gabby Thomas and Paris 2024 Olympics 100m champion Julien Alfred. The Nigerian record holder in the 200m has a personal best time of 21.96s and a season’s best of 22.05s, achieved in the semi-final.
Here are the seven athletes competing with Ofili for Olympic glory:
Gabby Thomas (USA) PB – 21.60s; SB – 21.78s
With the withdrawal of Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson, Gabby Thomas is a clear favorite for the gold medal. Thomas, who won silver in Tokyo, holds the 200m World Lead at 21.78s.
Her personal best of 21.60s ranks her as the fourth fastest woman in history, behind Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 21.34s world record, Jackson’s 21.41s, and Thompson-Herah’s 21.53s.
Julien Alfred (Saint Lucia) PB – 21.86s; SB – 21.86s
Paris 2024 Olympics 100m champion Julien Alfred is a strong contender for the 200m title. She defeated Sha’Carri Richardson to win the 100m. Alfred is the third fastest this year over 200m with a personal best of 21.86s, set last month in London.
In 200m races against Ofili, Alfred holds a 3-0 record, including winning their semi-final at these Olympics.
Dina Asher-Smith (Great Britain) PB – 21.88s; SB – 22.08s
Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, a 200m gold medalist at the 2019 World Championships, is another strong competitor. Although she did not advance in the 100m, Asher-Smith sees the 200m as her preferred event.
Her personal best is 21.88s, and her season’s best is 22.08s. Asher-Smith previously lost to Ofili in their 200m heat at Paris 2024.
McKenzie Long (USA) PB – 21.83s; SB – 21.83s
McKenzie Long, the reigning NCAA champion in both the 100m and 200m, recorded a 21.83s time in the 200m, the second fastest by a collegiate.
Long placed third in the semi-final behind Alfred and Ofili and qualified as one of the fastest non-automatic qualifiers.
Daryll Neita (Great Britain) PB – 22.16s; SB – 22.20s
Daryll Neita, another British athlete in the final, has emerged from the shadow of Asher-Smith. Neita aims to win her first individual global medal in the 200m after winning bronze in the 100m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
She previously competed against Ofili at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, where Neita placed second and Ofili was fourth.
Brittany Brown (USA) PB – 21.90s; SB – 21.90s
Brittany Brown returns to a global final after winning silver in the 200m at the 2019 World Championships. Brown, who was second at the US national trials, won her semi-final in 22.12s.
Jessika Gbai (Ivory Coast) PB – 22.36s; SB – 22.36s
In the absence of notable athletes like Marie-Josée Ta Lou and Murielle Ahouré, African 200m champion Jessika Gbai represents Ivory Coast as the second African finalist. Gbai’s personal and season’s best is 22.36s.
Ofili has defeated Gbai twice in NCAA races, with Gbai finishing second and third.
