By Jennifer Amarachi
Despite the negative outcome, Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili is happy of her performance at the 2024 Olympic Games, which ended on Sunday in Paris, France.
The 21-year-old, who clearly did not take her absence from the women’s 100m in stride, stated that she had to confront heavy challenges in order to realize her Olympic aspirations, adding that the unfortunate experience taught her how tough she was.
“To compete in the Olympics has been a lifelong desire. The conclusion of this Olympic wasn’t what I dreamed for—having to fight with myself every day to remain strong mentally even when my body and health were at stake owing to the hardships I faced.
“It’s easy to feel defeated, but every setback is an opportunity for a comeback.” I am proud of myself; the entire experience has shown me how strong I am, and I am glad for the support I received from my coach, family, and fans.
“Trusting God’s plan and ways is the only way to recover, since I know his intentions for me include giving me hope and a future. Thank you, Paris, for another lesson, and thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way—this isn’t the lesson, just another step in the story.” Ofili was one of the few Nigerian competitors expected to finish on the podium.
Her disqualification from the 100m race tarnished her campaign and harmed Nigeria’s performance, since neither the National Olympic Committee nor the Athletics Federation of Nigeria acknowledged the global embarrassment.
It wasn’t until a few days before the 100 m event that it was revealed that her Nigerian team had failed to register her on time, prohibiting her from racing.
Despite the setback, Ofili excelled in the 200 m and contributed to her team’s season-best time of 42.70s in the 4×100 m relay, with a split time of 10.09s.
