A lifetime moment for one. A nightmare for another. Gabby Thomas burst off the curve at Stade de France, her every stride powered by six years of determination. Her eyes locked on gold as she ran closer and closer to the finish line. When she crossed in 21.83s, the stadium erupted. She said that this was “the happiest moment of my life”. Favour Ofili broke down into tears after finishing sixth in the 200m final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, clocking 22.24 s. But now, when she met the American again after almost 10 months, she made sure not to repeat history. How?

The likes of three-time Olympic champion Gabby Thomas, 2019 NCAA champion Kayla White lined up on the 100-meter track on June 28, 2025, to compete in the ATX Sprint Classic at Southwestern University Track Stadium in Georgetown, Texas. Standing alongside them was the woman who left the Paris Olympics crying, Favour Ofili. But she was not going to get Paris repeated; in a year, she had the experience of running past the Olympians. In a field that had Gabby Thomas, Ofili not only won the race, but she also clocked her personal best.

In the heats, the track and field athlete, running past the Americans, recorded a time of 10.87 (1.9) seconds – her personal best in the distance. Before this, her personal best in the 100m was 10.93 seconds, which she set on April 30, 2022, in Baton Rouge, with a legal wind of +2.0 m/s. Gabby Thomas finished 3rd with a time of 10.96 seconds, while white was fourth with  110.07 seconds. The domination of Ofili did not just end here.

In the 100-meter final of the ATX classic, she made sure that she won against the American on their home ground. Once again, the woman ran past the 3 times Olympic champion and 2019 NCAA champion and even recorded a time after than before, but it was wind-aided. Favour Ofili won the 100 meters final with a time of 10.78 (3.1), where Gabby came second with a time of 10.95, and White behind her with 10.97, another one of the Gabby vs Wind instances.

While there are reports that Ofili is one of those athletes who is looking to switch allegiances to Turkey, she is still a Nigerian track and field athlete. A fan asked Track & Field Gazette when they made the tweet about her, recording her personal best, that if she is no longer Nigerian, to which they replied, “Not official. All her times and performances will remain (under) Nigeria until it is.”

Favour Ofili’s $500,000 Controversy

The relations between Ofili and Nigeria have been tense. Ofili had qualified to represent Nigeria in the 200 m, but was ultimately barred from competing after Nigeria failed to conduct the minimum number of out‑of‑competition drug tests required by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). By 2024, Ofili had earned qualification for three events: the 100 m, 200 m, and 4×100 m relay. Shockingly, on the eve of the Games, she discovered she had not been registered for the 100 m after submitting an impassioned social media statement—“I qualified, but those with the AFN and NOC failed to enter me.” Entering this scenario is Turkey with the bag of $500,ooo.

Reportedly, Turkey has been offering $500,000 to athlete who are willing to switch their allegiance and represent the Turkish flag. Jamaican sports journalist Kayon Raynor reported on X on June 21, 2025, that “Nigerian sprinter @FavOfili has switched allegiance to Turkey as of May 31, 2025. According to impeccable @TvjNewscentre sources, 22-year-old Ofili has advised the @aiu_athletics of her frustration with the Nigerian Athletics Federation.” In the thread that followed, it was highlighted that she is not doing this for financial reasons.