Nigerian sprinter, Favour Ofili, was lost for words after delivering a breathtaking performance at the Adidas Atlanta City Games, where she shattered the world record in the women’s 150m straight race.
The event took place at Piedmont Park in Atlanta on Saturday evening. Ofili electrified the crowd with a phenomenal time of 15.85 seconds, erasing the previous world record of 16.23 seconds set by Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo in 2018.
With this stunning victory, Ofili became the first woman in history to complete the rarely contested 150m distance in under 16 seconds.
Following the achievement, Favour Ofili credited her extraordinary achievement to divine favour and the unwavering support of her coach, who has been a pivotal figure in her training.
“I’m speechless. The Lord is good, and it’s marvellous in my sight,” Ofili said.
“Honestly, it’s all God. I’m surprised by the time, yes, but I know I put in the work. I trust my coach, I trust his programme, and I knew that at the right time, the Lord would make it happen.”
While the 150m race is not typically a standard championship event, its unique combination of speed and endurance has made it increasingly popular at street meets.
Ofili, unfazed by the unusual distance, elaborated on her race strategy, highlighting the valuable guidance she received from her support team.
“I got some advice: treat it like it’s a long 100 metres. Drive more, and if the track is bouncy, just let the track do the work,” she explained. “My coach always used to say, ‘Relax and sprint; that’s your favourite.’ That’s exactly what I did, and it worked.”
Ofili’s remarkable run not only earned her a world record but also saw her outpace American sprint prodigy Tamari Davis, who finished second with an impressive time of 16.14 seconds, also faster than the previous world best.
Saturday’s race marked a historic moment for Nigeria, as Ofili became only the second athlete from the country to hold a world record in athletics, joining Tobi Amusan, the reigning world 100m hurdles champion, in this elite company.
This stunning achievement builds on an already impressive outdoor season for Ofili, who previously clocked a wind-assisted 10.94 seconds in the 100m and followed that performance with a time of 22.27 seconds in the 200m at the Grand Slam Track meet in Miami.
There, she finished just behind Olympic champion Gabby Thomas and rising star Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, further solidifying her status as a formidable competitor in the sprinting world.
With her eyes now firmly set on future competitions, including a medal bid at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Ofili is on the verge of a breakthrough on the global athletics stage.
Having narrowly missed the podium with a sixth-place finish in the 200m final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, she is determined to translate her hard work and talent into Olympic success in the years to come.
