Ofili claims 200m title at 2023 SEC championships

Nigeria’s 200m record holder, indoor (22.36) and outdoor (21.96), Favour Ofili ran 22.52 at the Randal Tyson Track Center on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayeteville, Arkansas to win the half lap Southeastern Conference, SEC, title a year after she came second to American, Abby Steiner.

The Nigerian was tipped to have a crack at the new, 22.36 African indoor record she set earlier this month but an obviously tired Ofili who ran 7.24 to place sixth in the 60m final a few hours earlier cruised to a 22.52 finish to win her second 200m title at the Championships.

The 20 year old ran 22.75, a then first ever sub-23 seconds in the event by a Nigerian to win in her debut in the championships, finishing third in the in final classification.

Interestingly, Ofili raced to new Nigerian record in the event in her first two finals viz 22.75 in 2021 and 22.46 in 2022.

The pretty Nigerian will now shift focus to the NCAA final next month at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico where she will seeking to swap second place finish in 2022 for first and become the first Nigerian, man or woman to win the event in four years after Divine Oduduru who successfully completed a sprint double in 2019.