By Monica Iheakam
Nigeria’s and World U20 champion, Favour Ofili has again shown brilliant track form breaking and setting new records within weeks in America.
Barely a week after setting a Nigerian 200m record of 21.96, Ofili made African sprint history after running an African 100m lead of 10.93s to become the second African woman after Namibian Christine Mboma to race inside 11 seconds in the event and 22 seconds in the 200m event.
Ofili achieved the feat after storming home first in the 100m event at the LSU Invitational at the Bernie Moore Track Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Not only does it make her the fastest African teenager in history, she also moved to fifth on the senior African all-time list.
In the men’s 100m at the same venue, a tail wind of 3.0m/s prevented University of Tennessee freshman, Favour Ashe from becoming the 12th Nigerian and 28th African man to run inside 10 seconds in the 100m after posting an incredible 9.79s performance.
At the Corky/Crofoot Shootout meet at the Fuller Track and Field Complex in Lubbock, Texas, Rosemary Chukwuma was also in inspiring form.
The 20 year old legally dipped inside 23 seconds for the first time in her career to win the 200m race at the event and set a new Texas Tech University record.
Her 22.78s new lifetime best is the 10th-fastest time in the NCAA to be recorded this season, the fifth fastest time in the Big 12 this season, sixth fastest by an African so far this season and third by a Nigerian after Ofili (21.96s) and Tobi Amusan (22.66s).