Ofili sets new 150m world record as Nigerian athletes shine in Atlanta

Nigerian athletes made their mark at the 2025 Adidas Atlanta City Games on Saturday, with Favour Ofili delivering a standout performance in the women’s 150 metres and setting a new world record of 15.85 seconds (2.0m/s) at Piedmont Park.

Ofili, 22, became the first woman to run the rarely contested 150m in under 16 seconds, surpassing the previous record of 16.23 seconds set by Bahamian Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo in 2018.

Ofili led the race unchallenged, finishing ahead of American Tamari Davis (16.14s) and Jamaica’s Ashanti Moore (16.50s). Her result was recorded during a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet held in a street event format, aimed at increasing spectator engagement.

The 150m event, not part of the Olympic or World Championship programme, is infrequently run, but Ofili’s time places her at the top of the all-time list. Her performance also reflected Nigeria’s growing presence on the international athletics stage.

Also competing was world 100m hurdles record holder Tobi Amusan, who placed second in her heat with a time of 12.53 seconds, behind American Keni Harrison (12.44s). Amusan progressed to the final, continuing her 2025 season form after previous outings of 12.74s and 12.66s in Xiamen and Keqiao.

In the men’s 100m, Nigerian sprinter Udodi Onwuzurike registered a season’s best of 10.20 seconds in his heat. He finished second behind South Africa’s Akani Simbine (10.13s), securing a place in the final and gaining momentum in his ongoing campaign.

While Ofili’s record drew international attention, the event also highlighted a broader showing by Team Nigeria, with multiple athletes competing against a field of top global performers in an open-air, city-centre setting.

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