Nigerian sprint sensation Favour Ofili made history on Saturday, May 17, as she became the first woman to dip under 16 seconds in the 150m at the Adidas Atlanta City Games.
Racing on a straight temporary track laid out in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park, the 22-year-old Olympic 200m finalist clocked a blistering 15.85 seconds (with a legal +2.0m/s tailwind) to smash the previous world best of 16.23 seconds set by Bahamian sprint star Shaunae Miller-Uibo in 2018.
Ofili’s emphatic performance left a significant gap between herself and the rest of the field. USA’s Tamari Davis came in second, recording a personal best of 16.14 seconds, which was also faster than the previous world best.
A Performance for the History Books
Known for her explosive starts and powerful finishing speed, Ofili surged into the lead after just 50 metres and never looked back. By the final stretch, she had opened a commanding lead, crossing the line with history in her wake and the Atlanta crowd on its feet.
In a post-race interview, the 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist gave credit to her faith, training, and coaching staff.
“The Lord is good and is marvellous in my sight. “Honestly, the time surprised me,” Ofili remarked.
“But I know I put in the work, I trust my coach, I trust his program, and I know at the right time the Lord would do it.”
Ofili revealed that her coach advised her to treat the race like a shorter sprint.
ChatGPT said:
“My coach told me to relax and treat it like it’s 100 metres.”
Breaking Barriers, Setting Standards
This remarkable feat adds to Ofili’s growing reputation as one of Africa’s and the world’s brightest sprint talents. She previously set an African 200m indoor record of 22.36 seconds at the Tyson Invitational in Arkansas in 2023 and reached the final of the 200m at the 2024 Olympics.
Now, with the world 150m best in her possession, Favour Ofili has cemented her name in the annals of athletics history.
