Nigerian sprint star Favour Ofili stormed to a historic 15.85-second finish in the women’s 150 metres at the 2025 Adidas Atlanta City Games.
Ofili became the first woman ever to dip under the 16-second mark in the rarely contested race. But what stood out even more than the time was Ofili’s own reaction—one of disbelief, humility, and raw emotion.
Speaking after the race ,she lamented to have not felt any pressure running a world record.
“I didn’t even feel like I was running a world record,” she said moments after crossing the finish line at Piedmont Park. “Honestly, I’m not tired at all. I think there was wind behind us, so I just felt like I had some spring. I didn’t know what was happening. All I know is I looked up and saw I was in front.”
For Ofili, the moment was surreal. As the clock stopped and the announcer confirmed the record-breaking time.The 22-year-old struggled to process what she had just accomplished.
“I was like, what’s the time? I saw it and I thought, no, that can’t be right. But then again, maybe it is,” she said with a mix of laughter and tears. “I’m just grateful to God for everything.”
The world record-breaking run demolished the previous best of 16.23 seconds set by Shaunae Miller-Uibo in 2018. American Tamari Davis finished second in 16.14s, also under the previous world best. Jamaican Ashanti Moore clocking 16.50s for third.
Despite the dominance and the headlines, Ofili said her success is built on something simple—trust.
“It shows I’m in a good place physically. But we’re taking it one step at a time—trusting the process, my coach, and the workouts. I just do what he says. I don’t know anything else—I just run.”
Behind the smile and victory lies a deeper story. Favour Ofili revealed that she has had to overcome serious personal struggles in the past year, including missing out on the Paris Olympics and nearly losing her mother.
“My confidence was gone. I had to go to therapy. I almost lost my mom. Seeing everything in the news—it was a lot. But I’m trusting God. He said at the right time, He’ll do it. So I’m building my confidence again, step by step.”
And what does it mean when a world record leaves you feeling fresh?
“If you’re not tired, that means you ran good,” she laughed. “You ran real good.”
She recently impressed at the Grand Slam Track meet in Miami, clocking a wind-aided 10.94 seconds in the 100m and a strong 22.27 seconds in the 200m behind Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas and rising star Melissa Jefferson-Wooden.
Having narrowly missed the podium in the 200m final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she finished sixth, Ofili appears laser-focused on redemption this season.
For Favour Ofili, it wasn’t just a race. It was a moment of healing, of resurgence—and perhaps, just the beginning of something greater.
