By Sedara Oluwadara
Favour Ofili has become the third Nigerian woman after Mary Onyali (1994) and Blessing Okagbare (2014) to win a medal in the 200m at the Commonwealth Games.
The 19-year-old ran 22.51 seconds Saturday evening at the Alexander stadium in Birmingham to place second behind Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah (22.02s Games record), the Tokyo Olympics double sprint champion.
Namibia’s Tokyo Olympics 200m silver medalist, Christine Mboma finished third in 22.80 seconds.
Ofili’s silver medal win is the second such medal Nigeria has won in the event after Mary Onyali who ran 22.35 seconds to place second behind Australia’s Cathy Freeman in 1994.
Nigeria’s record in the event now reads one gold after Blessing Okagbare’s 22.25 seconds blistering run eight years ago in Glasgow, Scotland and two silver medals.
Interestingly the three Nigerians that have qualified to run in the final of the half-lap event have ended on the podium.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s 28-year wait for a men’s 200m medal has been extended to 32 after former World U20 champion, Udodi Onwuzurike could only finish in sixth place (20.76s) in the final of the event Saturday evening.
Onwuzurike had made history as the first Nigerian since 2006 (16 years) to run in the final of the event.
The last time Nigeria mounted the podium for a 200m medal at the Games was in 1994 in Victoria, Canada where Daniel Effiong was presented a bronze medal for finishing third (20.40s) behind Namibia’s Frankie Fredericks who ran a new 19.97 seconds Games record to win the gold while England’s John Regis won the silver medal.
David Ejoke won Nigeria’s first medal in the event in 1966 albiet he ran over 220 yards at the time
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