Nigerian stars shine at New Balance Indoor Grand Prix as Amusan, Ofili shatter records
The New Balance Indoor Grand Prix took place at the Track at New Balance in Boston, United States, featuring the participation of five Nigerian athletes, on Sunday, 4 February 2023.
Notably, Tobi Amusan and Favour Ofili achieved commendable milestones, breaking both African and Nigerian records in the 60 metres hurdles and 300 metres, respectively.
Amusan, who had previously established an area record last week in Kazakstan at the Astana Indoor Meet for Amin Tuyakov Prizes with a time of 7.77 seconds, surpassed her own record in Boston.
Despite securing a second-place finish at the New Balance Indoor meet, she achieved a new lifetime best of 7.75 seconds, closely trailing behind Tia Jones of the United States, who claimed victory with a world lead of 7.72 seconds.
The achievement was particularly significant for Favour Ofili, a Louisiana State University (LSU) alumna embarking on her professional career. She set new indoor records, now holding the African 200 and 300 metres indoor records.
In the 300 metres, she clocked an impressive 35.99 seconds, breaking Amantle Montsho’s Area record of 36.33 seconds and Charity Opara’s Nigerian record of 36.53 seconds. This accomplishment positions her as the tenth-fastest sprinter over this distance in history.
Nigerian long jumpers Ese Brume and Ruth Usoro initiated their season with noteworthy performances, achieving jumps of 6.54 and 6.47 metres, respectively. Both athletes secured the third and fourth positions in the women’s long jump while Quarter-miler Dubem Nwachukwu competed in the 600 metres, finishing in sixth place with a time of 1:18.25 seconds.
In summary, the overall performance of Nigerian athletes at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix was impressive, marked by the establishment of new records. It is anticipated that they will carry this momentum forward into upcoming competitions.
