Ofili Shines As Nigerians Impress At LA Grand Prix

Nigeria’s athletes produced a series of standout performances at the LA Grand Prix, with sprint sensation Favour Ofili leading the charge by claiming her first 200m victory of the 2026 season.

Ofili underlined her growing form with a commanding run in difficult conditions, storming to victory in the women’s 200 metres in 22.45 seconds despite battling a strong headwind of -3.1m/s. The Nigerian star finished well clear of the field, spearheading a dominant Nigerian display in the event.

Gemima Joseph secured second place in 22.88s, while fellow Nigerian Rosemary Chukwuma, the 2026 CAA Senior Athletics Championships silver medallist in both the 100m and 200m, completed a remarkable clean sweep of the podium with a third-place finish in 22.94s.

The victory marks an important milestone for Ofili as she builds momentum ahead of the season’s major championships, showcasing both her speed and resilience under testing conditions.

Nigeria’s success continued in the women’s 400 metres, where Ella Onojuvwevwo maintained her impressive form by finishing second in 50.25s. Fresh from setting a personal best of 49.47s in Texas a week earlier, Onojuvwevwo once again demonstrated her consistency against world-class opposition, finishing behind American winner Aaliyah Butler, who clocked 49.90s.

In the field events, long jump star Ese Brume made an encouraging return to competition after a nine-month injury-enforced absence following an accident. The Nigerian and African record holder registered a best leap of 6.53m to finish fifth, providing a positive foundation as she works towards full fitness. World champion Tara Davis-Woodhall won the event with a wind-assisted jump of 7.25m.

Meanwhile, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi continued his solid campaign in the men’s shot put, finishing fifth with a throw of 21.33m, while Jamaica’s Rajindra Campbell took victory with 21.94m.

The performances of Ofili, Onojuvwevwo, Brume and Enekwechi capped another encouraging outing for Nigerian athletics, highlighting the nation’s growing strength and depth on the international stage.