By Joe Apu
In an impressive performance on Friday, Nigeria’s Rosemary Chukwuma sprinted her way into the semi-finals of the women’s 100m at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Competing in heat five of the event’s round one, Chukwuma secured third place with a time of 11.26 seconds, trailing behind Ewa Swoboda of Poland and the UK’s Dina Asher-Smith. Although her time was below her personal best, it was sufficient to propel her into the next round.
Chukwuma ranked 28th fastest across the eight heats and will need to elevate her performance as the competition progresses.
In contrast, Tima Godless finished sixth in heat seven of the women’s 100m, missing the qualification spots. Despite a strong start, the 21-year-old struggled to maintain her momentum, ultimately trailing her opponents to the finish line.
Notably absent from the start list for the women’s 100 meters was Favour Ofili. The 22-year-old sprinter publicly accused the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) of failing to register her for the event. Ofili expressed her frustration, stating that the organizations had deprived her of a crucial opportunity and that neither could be trusted in the future.
Responding to the controversy, John Enoh, Nigeria’s Minister of Sports Development, vowed to address the negligence and ensure Ofili is not deprived of her chance to compete in her qualified races at the Paris Olympics.