Blessing Oborodudu and Favour Ofili deliver mixed results at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Oborodudu fights for bronze in wrestling, while Ofili aims for gold in the women’s 200 meters. Other Nigerian athletes continue to compete in various events.
Team Nigeria experienced a day of highs and lows at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Wrestler Blessing Oborodudu, who won silver in Tokyo 2020, faced tough competition in the 68kg freestyle category. She started strong by defeating Canada’s Linda Morais 8-2. In the quarterfinals, despite being backed by a fervent home crowd, she triumphed over France’s Koumba Larroque with a 5-2 victory.
However, Oborodudu's semifinal match against Kyrgyzstan’s Meerim Zhumanarova was a challenging one. She initially led but ultimately lost 3-1, putting an end to her gold medal hopes. She now has a chance to compete for a bronze medal via the repechage round.
On the track, Favour Ofili continued to impress by securing a spot in the finals of the Women’s 200 meters, posting a season-best time of 22.05 seconds. She finished second to Julien Alfred. In the 400 meters hurdles, Ezekiel Nathaniel advanced to the semifinals with a time of 48.38 seconds.
Other Nigerian athletes faced difficulties. Ella Onojuvwevwo and Esther Ello Joseph did not progress in the Women’s 400 meters, although Onojuvwevwo still has a chance in the repechage round. Chidi Okezie's time of 45.64 seconds in the Men’s 400 meters was insufficient to move forward.
Looking ahead, Ruth Usoro, Prestina Ochonogor, and Ese Brume will compete in the Long Jump qualifying rounds. Ofili aims for a medal in the Women’s 200 meters final, eager to make up for her earlier exclusion from the 100 meters event.
