Favor Ofili Finds Her Stride Again With Record-Breaking Run in Atlanta

Favor Ofili Finds Her Stride Again With Record-Breaking Run in Atlanta

Atlanta, Georgia— The story of Favor Ofili has always felt like one of unfinished business. Since she burst onto the international scene at just 16, the Nigerian sprinter seemed destined for greatness. But promise doesn’t always equal progress. And on a breezy May afternoon in Piedmont Park at the Adidas Atlanta City Games, she finally gave us a moment that felt more than potential. This was the Ofili we knew that dominated college.

Clocking 15.85s in the women’s 150m starting, Ofili not only won the race but also broke the world record in a rarely run event. While the 150m isn’t a standard distance, the moment’s importance was not lost on those paying attention. It was the first time any woman had gone under 16 seconds in the event. Shaunae Miller-Uibo had the world record at 16.23 back in 2018.

This wasn’t just about numbers on a stopwatch. It was about how she looked crossing the line. Calm. Composed. In control and most importantly, not tired. Most sprinters finish a gutsy effort with fatigue written across their face. But Ofili jogged off the track almost like it had been a training rep. It’s those small details that show an athlete is heading in the right direction.

“My coach always tells me anytime I run this well and I don’t feel tired, then I executed my race well,” Ofili said after her race.

This wasn’t the same demeanor she portrayed during the last  Olympics. A little under a year ago, her season unraveled in Paris. Mentally, she wasn’t there. She had qualified for the 100m but wasn’t entered in the event by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria. In the 200m, she just missed the podium. Coming so close without hardware to show for it can crush a young athlete’s spirit. Adding to the weight was the personal heartbreak of losing her mother around the same period.

So in many ways, what happened in Atlanta wasn’t just a win. It felt like an answer to questions that had lingered for too long. Is she still one of the best sprinters in the world? Is she healthy? Is she ready?

Her answers came not just from the result but from the consistency she’s started to build again. This season, she’s run 10.99 in the 100m at LSU, 10.94 with a slight tailwind in Miami, and…