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The Nigerian sprinter has been left devastated after her country’s athletics and Olympics committee officials failed to enter her name for the Paris Olympics event.
Favour Ofili, the Nigerian sprinter who had qualified for the 100-metre dash at the 2024 Paris Olympics, will not be competing in the event due to a registration error by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), and the Nigerian Anti-Doping Committee (NADC).
Ofili announced the disappointing news on X (formerly Twitter), expressing her frustration over the mishap. “It is with great regret that I have just been told I will not be competing in the 100 meters at this Olympic Games,” Ofili wrote. “I qualified, but those with the AFN and NOC failed to enter me. I have worked for 4 years to earn this opportunity. For what?”
The error has left Ofili unable to compete alongside her Nigerian compatriots in the 100m dash, a significant setback for the former LSU standout. Ofili's exclusion from the event is a repeat of a troubling pattern; during the Tokyo Olympics, 14 Nigerian athletes missed out on competition due to similar administrative failures, including issues with funding for anti-doping tests.
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“Please remember, in the last Olympic Games I was not able to compete because AFN, NADC and NOC failed to release funds for athletes to be tested, which made 14 Nigerian athletes that qualified to not compete,” Ofili continued. “Now THIS… If those responsible are NOT held accountable for taking this opportunity from me, neither organization can EVER be trusted in the future! Next one is the 200 meters, I HOPE I’M ENTERED.”
Ofili's career achievements include a notable stint at LSU from 2021 to 2023, where she was part of the 4×100-metre relay team that won the SEC outdoor track and field championships. Individually, she claimed a 22.58-second 200-metre dash to secure the SEC title and was a six-time All-SEC selection.
She qualified for the Paris Olympics with a standout performance at the Tom Jones Invitational in April, running a 22.23-second 200-metre dash—the fourth-fastest time in the world this year. Despite her promising form and her status as an Olympic veteran, Ofili’s hopes now rest on her next event, the 200-metre dash, which is scheduled to begin on August 4.
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As the athletics programme at the Olympics gets underway this week, the absence of such a promising athlete underscores ongoing administrative challenges within Nigerian athletics.
Fans and fellow competitors alike will be watching closely to see if Ofili can make a strong showing in the 200 meters and whether the organizations responsible for her oversight will face scrutiny and reform.
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