Julien Alfred has given credits to fast rising Nigerian track and field star, Favour Ofili, for making her run the race of her life in the final of the NCAA Indoor Championship women’s 200 metres held on Saturday in Albuquerque, United States.
The St Lucian and student of the University of Texas not only broke the collegiate records, but catapulted herself to second on the world all-time lists in her events.
After winning the 60m race being undefeated all year, having set Collegiate Records of 6.97 and 6.96, she went even quicker in Saturday’s final, winning in a Commonwealth Record of 6.94 to beat Ofili to the 6th spot. Forty minutes later in the 200m, she was up against her biggest rival on the collegiate circuit, and it was the leader in the heats with an African record of 22.10, Favour Ofili of the Louisiana State University….continue Reading
Alfred, drawn in the outside lane, got off to a strong start and was never headed. Ofili almost drew level on the final bend, but Alfred pulled away again and crossed the line in 22.01. Only world indoor record-holder Merlene Ottey has ever gone faster, with the 21.87 she clocked in Lievin 30 years ago. Ofili finished second in 22.20.
Speaking on her feat after the intense race: “22.01 is a new collegiate record, I wasn’t expecting it, I am sure my coach was but not me.”
On the stiff challenge from Ofili, after she saw the Nigerian was chasing her.
“I stopped running blind so I can write my own race, I felt like I was running for my life, rather than chasing someone (Ofili) else.”
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