100m runner shares brutal rant against her country after not being chosen to run Olympic event despite qualifying
An athlete who qualified for the 100 metre sprint at the Olympic Games will not be competing in the event for a bizarre reason, and she wants some answers.
Nigerian runner Favour Ofili won a silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 21-year-old is in Paris to represent her country at the Olympics for the first time.
However, she's taken to social media to call out the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) after she learned yesterday (30 July) that she wouldn't be running a race she qualified for.
She wrote: "It is with great regret that I have just been told I will not be competing in the 100 meters at this Olympic Games.
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"I qualified, but those with the AFN and NOC failed to enter me. I have worked for 4 years to earn this opportunity. For what?
"Please remember, in the last Olympic Games I was not able to compete because AFN, NADC and NOC failed to release funds for athletes to be tested, which made 14 Nigeria athletes that qualified to not compete. Now THIS……
"If those responsible are NOT held accountable for taking this opportunity from me, neither organization can EVER be trusted in the future!
"Next one is the 200meters, I HOPE IM ENTERED."
Despite her heartbreak, Ofili's Olympic dreams aren't over as she will be competing in the 200m sprint and the 4x100m relay.
Nigeria's Minister of Sports Development John Owan Enoh also took to social media to say he'd been contacted by Ofili and as a result of reaching out to the AFN had been told she'd been 'registered for the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m relay' and that her name was on the forms when they handed them to the NOC.
He said: "Ofili has been in the top eight at the World Championships. She is a Commonwealth Games silver medallist, an African Games champion, a former World U20 champion, and an African Senior Athletics Championships champion in the 200m.
"As Minister of Sports, I will not tolerate this utter recklessness.
"It is highly inexcusable, and there will be thorough sanctions after investigations into where and from whom this gross negligence originated.
"All parties must take their duties very seriously. The current way of operating the Federal Ministry of Sports Development does not allow for incompetence at any level.
"As an immediate measure, the Athletic Federation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Olympic Committee must ensure that Favour Ofili is not deprived of the opportunity to compete in the races for which she is qualified and registered to represent the country at the Paris Olympics.
"She is committed to proving her mettle."
The 21-year-old runner certainly did not come to Paris to be told she couldn't compete in a race she'd put the effort into qualifying for.
LADbible has contacted the AFN and NOC for comment.
Team GB's current medal count - 17
Gold medallists
- Rosalind Canter, Laura Collett, Tom McEwen: Equestrian - Eventing team
- Tom Pidcock: Mountain Bike - Men's cross country
- Nathan Hales: Shooting - Men's trap
- Tom Dean, Kieran Bird, James Guy, Jack McMillan, Matthew Richards, Duncan Scott: Swimming - Men's 4x200m freestyle
- Alex Yee: Men's triathlon
- Lauren Henry, Lola Anderson, Hannah Scott and Georgina Brayshaw: Rowing - Women's quadruple sculls
Silver medallists
- Anna Henderson: Cycling - Women's individual time trial
- Adam Peaty: Swimming - Men's 100m breaststroke
- Tom Daley and Noah Williams: Diving - Men's synchronised 10m platform
- Adam Burgess: Canoe Slalom - Men's canoe single
- Matthew Richards: Swimming - Men's 200m freestyle
- Kieran Reilly: Cycling - Men's BMX Freestyle
Bronze medallists
- Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen: Diving - Women's synchronised 3m springboard
- Kimberley Woods: Canoe - Women's slalom
- Laura Collett: Equestrian - Eventing individual
- Beth Potter: Women's triathlon
- Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson: Diving - Women's synchronised 10m platform
Joe Harker