Nigeria

Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, Rashidat Adeleke, Annette Echikunwoke Headline USATF Lone Star Grand Prix

Female sprinter. Favour Ofili will feature in the 200m at this weekend’s USATF Lone Star Grand Prix alongside Ireland’s Nigerian-born ace, Rashidat Adeleke, while Rosemary Chukwumah runs 100m and USA’s Annette Nneka Echikunwoke competes in hammer throw.

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Sports247 reports that Saturday’s meet in College Station, Texas is the first US-based World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series of 2026, featuring podium stars from the past three World Championships and the 2024 Olympic Games.

Ofili, who recently had her attempted switch of allegiance to Turkey annulled by World Athletics, will compete against Olympic champion, Gabby Thomas, who clocked 21.89 earlier this year and Olympic 400m fourth-place finisher Adeleke.

They will have to contend with the pace of in-form world and Olympic finalist Deajah Stevens and Cambrea Sturgis, who has run 21.93 this season for the women’s 200m top prize on Saturday.

Chukwuma will feature in the women’s 100m, where the African silver medallist, who has a season’s best of 10.95 and has clocked a wind-assisted 10.81 this year, faces 2023 world 4x100m champion, Tamari Davis and Jamaica’s Jodean Williams.

A major attraction in the women’s hammer throw will by USA’s Nigerian-born ace, Echikunwoke, an Olympic Games silver medallist, who will compete against 2023 world silver medallist, Janee Kassanavoid for a place in a global final.

However, the favourite is Canada’s Camryn Rogers, the Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion as well as second-best thrower in history, along with 2022 world champion Brooke Anderson and 2019 world champion DeAnna Price.

A preview by iaaf.og adds in part, “The men’s 400m hurdles brings together three athletes with strong global credentials. World finalist Caleb Dean has run 47.75 this year, while 2022 world bronze medallist Trevor Bassitt has clocked 47.82.

“They will face Nigerian record-holder Ezekiel Nathaniel, who finished fourth at the 2025 World Championships in 47.11; while in the women’s 400m, Nigeria’s Ella Onojuvwevwo looks to maintain her momentum.

 

“(Onojuvwevwo will aim to impress again) following her African indoor record of 50.28 earlier in the year and her outdoor season debut of 49.59. She will face Jamaica’s Stacey Ann Williams and US duo Britton Wilson and Bailey Lear.”