Elaine Thompson‑Herah entered the NYC Grand Prix 100 m on June 9, 2024, as the reigning Olympic champion, widely regarded as the fastest woman alive. She came to New York on a staggering streak—she had already claimed Olympic doubles in both Rio (2016) and Tokyo (2021), becoming the first woman to retain both the 100 m and 200 m titles in successive Games. She had clocked a personal best of 10.54 s at the Prefontaine Classic, making her the second-fastest woman ever over 100 m. Imagine defeating the five-time Olympic medalist–only for your own career to take a dramatic turn.

Favour Ofili of Nigeria made it happen at the 2024 NYC Grand Prix. In a dramatic showdown on the blue track at Icahn Stadium, Ofili surged ahead with precision and poise, defying expectations and the stiff 2.1 m/s headwind to cross the line in 11.18 seconds—a season’s best. Elaine clocked 11.48 seconds, finishing ninth. She was visibly hindered by an Achilles injury and was subsequently carried off the track. Ofili once again made news when she smashed the women’s world best in 150 meters with a phenomenal 15.85 s at the Adidas Atlanta City Games on May 17, 2025. Now she is back in it again with this heartbreaking news.

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, the journalist talked of her frustrations with the foundation. As reported, Ofili claimed that the Nigerian Athletics Federation caused her to miss the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after they did not confirm her number of doping control tests and then missed competing in the 100m at the Paris Olympics after they did not enter her for the event. She was 6th in the 200m final.

Athletes are switching allegiance to Turkey largely for financial incentives. But so is not the case for Favour Ofili. Another tweet in the thread read that, “It’s further understood that Ofili impressed upon the AIU that her switch to Turkey was not for financial reasons. She owns personal best times of 10.93 secs and 21.96 secs in the 100m and 200m, respectively.” She clocked 10.93 s in the 100 m at a meet in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on April 30, 2022—becoming the first female NCAA athlete to break the 11-second barrier in outdoor competition.

Her blazing 21.96s was recorded at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Gainesville, Florida, on April 15, 2022—not only setting the NCAA collegiate record, but also breaking the Nigerian national record and positioning her among the fastest African women ever over that distance. Favour Ofili has also been added to the list of athletes who have switched their allegiance to Turkey.

The full picture

Athletes are increasingly switching allegiance to Turkey primarily due to the substantial financial incentives offered—such as $500,000 signing bonuses, monthly stipends, and medal-based rewards—far exceeding what many athletes in their home countries can access. A prominent example came on June 20, 2025, when Jamaican shot put bronze medalist Rajindra Campbell officially switched his allegiance to Turkey.

According to his agent and media reports, Campbell and reportedly fellow Jamaican discus gold medalist Roje Stona, received a $500,000 signing bonus along with ongoing monthly support as part of their move. Their moves have sparked a wave of reactions from the fans, leaving them divided. They are not the first Jamaican athletes to switch nationalities, with sprinters Jak Ali Harvey and Emre Zafer Barnes also representing Turkey when they made the switch in 2015.

Though they did it because they faced fierce competition just to make Jamaica’s crowded sprint teams, switching to Turkey opened the door to guaranteed national selection, steady salaries, and performance bonuses that would’ve been hard to come by back home. What are your thoughts about an athlete moving to Turkey?