Nigeria’s sprint and hurdles stars will take centre stage at the inaugural Lone Star Grand Prix on Saturday in Texas, as four top athletes, Favour Ofili, Ezekiel Nathaniel, Rosemary Chukwuma and Ella Onojuvwevwo will compete against some of the world’s best.
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The meet is part of the inaugural USA Track & Field Tour and is one of only two World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meetings scheduled in the United States this season, alongside the Los Angeles Grand Prix later this month.
Ofili, the women’s 150m world record holder, returns to action in the women’s 200m after recently seeing her proposed nationality switch to Turkey rejected.
The Nigerian star will line up in a highly competitive field that includes reigning Olympic champion Gabby Thomas, Olympic finalist Rhasidat Adeleke, as well as Deajah Stevens and Cambrea Sturgis, who has already clocked 21.93 seconds this season.
Also entered in the event are American teenage sensation Mariah Maxwell and World Championships relay gold medallists Jenna Prandini and Kayla White.
In the women’s 100m, Chukwuma will face another elite field after posting a personal best of 10.95 seconds and a wind-assisted 10.81 earlier this season.
Her rivals include 2023 world 4x100m relay champion Tamari Davis and Jamaica’s world relay silver medallist Jodean Williams.
Onojuvwevwo, who set an African indoor 400m record of 50.28 earlier this year and opened her outdoor campaign with 49.59, will compete in the women’s 400m against Jamaica’s Stacey Ann Williams and American athletes Britton Wilson and Bailey Lear.
Nathaniel is set to begin his season in the men’s 400m hurdles, where he will take on a stacked field featuring world finalist Caleb Dean and 2022 world bronze medallist Trevor Bassitt.
Elsewhere at the meeting, Jamaican sprint star Oblique Seville will compete in the men’s 100m alongside Olympic champion Andre De Grasse, former world indoor champion Trayvon Bromell, world bronze medallist Zharnel Hughes and American speedster Ronnie Baker.
