Embattled Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili brushed aside recent speculation about a potential switch of allegiance to Turkey by storming to victory in the women’s 100m final at the ATX Sprint Classic in Texas.
The 22-year-old, who has faced media attention over reports of a planned nationality switch, began her day by clocking a blistering 10.87s to win her heat—smashing her previous personal best of 10.94s. She finished ahead of American Kayla White, who ran 11.07s.
Also competing in the women’s 100m heats was Rosemary Chukwuma, who won her race in a time of 10.93s, finishing ahead of Olympic champion Gabby Thomas. Success Umukoro placed third in her heat with a time of 11.43s.
In the final, Ofili was dominant once again, claiming the title with another personal best of 10.78s. Gabby Thomas finished second in 10.95s, while Kayla White placed third in 10.97s. This marked Ofili’s return to competition after setting a world record in the 150m (15.85s) at the Adidas Atlanta City Games last month. She also holds Nigeria’s 200m national record at 21.96s.
Chukwuma, who had earlier won her heat in style, finished fifth in the final with a time of 10.98s. The 23-year-old has been in fine form this season, having previously clocked 11.03s at the Star Athletics Sprint Series in Florida, a result that secured her spot at the World Championships in Tokyo.
The 2025 ATX Sprint Classic, held at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, was a one-day event featuring top athletes such as Gabby Thomas, Kayla White, Aleia Hobbs, Tamara Clark, and Bahamian rising star Terrence Jones.
