Nigerian sprinter, Favour Ofili, made a promising debut at the newly launched Grand Slam Track in Miami on Friday, securing third place in the women’s 100m race.
During the grand finale of the event, Olympic bronze medallist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden delivered an impressive performance with a winning time of 10.75s (2.4).
Tamari Davis followed closely in second place, clocking in at 10.79s, while Ofili’s strong showing at 10.94s highlighted her potential.
Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas also achieved her personal milestone by recording her first career sub-11s time in all competitions with 10.97s, finishing fourth, just ahead of Jacious Sears in 10.98s.
This event marked Ofili’s first appearance in the Grand Slam Track series, a league recognised as a significant step forward for professional track athletes. It is also her first competitive appearance following her withdrawal from the opening leg in Kingston, Jamaica, earlier this month.
The Grand Slam Track event brings together 96 of the world’s elite athletes for a three-day competition, where each event offers a $100,000 top prize.
Favour Ofili, 22, is expected to continue developing in the 200m event, eager to capitalise on this opportunity. The next legs of the series will take place from May 30 to June 1 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, culminating in the final leg scheduled for June 27-29 at UCLA’s Drake Stadium in Los Angeles.
Tobi Amusan
In the women’s 100m hurdles, world record holder Tobi Amusan is gradually finding her rhythm this season, having competed in two events so far. During her second event in Keqiao, China, she finished fourth with a season-best time of 12.66s.
The race was won by Grace Stark of the USA at 12.42s, followed by reigning World Champion Danielle Williams in 12.55s, and South Africa’s Fourie Marione in third place with 12.62s.
Before Amusan’s race in China, Olympic champion Masai Russell achieved a new American record and the second-fastest time in history, winning the women’s 100m hurdles at the Grand Slam Track in Miramar, Florida with a time of 12.17s (2.0m/s), just milliseconds shy of Amusan’s world record.
Russell’s impressive start allowed her to maintain her lead throughout the race, finishing ahead of an in-form Tia Jones, who recorded a personal best of 12.19s, and Ackera Nugent in third with 12.34s. This event marked a historic moment as it was the first time two women broke the 12.20s barrier in a single race, setting an exciting precedent for the rest of the season.
As Amusan opened her season in Xiamen with a time of 12.75s, she currently sits fourth in the Diamond League standings with five points. The next Diamond League meeting is scheduled for Doha, Qatar on May 16.
However, before that, Amusan will shift her focus to national team duties as part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay team for the World Relays in Guangzhou, China this month, while other competitors in the Grand Slam Track series prepare for their next meet from May 30 to June 1 in Philadelphia.