Ofili, Nathaniel Poised for Diamond League Debuts at Prestigious Prefontaine Classic In USA

Ofili, Nathaniel Poised for Diamond League Debuts at Prestigious Prefontaine Classic In USA

By Admin 

 Rising Nigerian track stars Favour Ofili and Ezekiel Nathaniel are set to make their much-anticipated Diamond League debuts this weekend at the 50th edition of the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon—one of the most prestigious one-day athletics meets in the world.

The duo headlines a strong Nigerian contingent that also includes world record holder and reigning Diamond League champion Tobi Amusan, world top-10 shot putter Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, and sprint talent Rosemary Chukwuma.

Competing at Hayward Field, the same venue that hosted the 2022 World Athletics Championships, Ofili and Nathaniel will take on world-class opposition in landmark appearances that signal their rising profiles on the global stage.

Nathaniel, the reigning NCAA 400m hurdles champion, has enjoyed a standout 2025 season. He clocked 47.49s to win the U.S. collegiate title—his second at the venue—and earlier in the year set a new African indoor 400m record of 44.74s. His consistency and dominance in the U.S. collegiate circuit earned him the NCAA Men’s Track Athlete of the Year award.

In Eugene, the 21-year-old will face a formidable lineup in the men’s 400m hurdles, including Olympic gold medallist Rai Benjamin, world bronze medallist Alison dos Santos, and Qatari veteran Abderrahman Samba.

Favour Ofili, one of Nigeria’s most promising sprinters, will compete in the women’s 100m—arguably the marquee event of the meet. The race reunites the full 2024 Olympic podium: gold medallist Julien Alfred (Saint Lucia), silver medallist Sha’Carri Richardson (USA), and bronze medallist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA). Ofili enters the race in strong form, continuing her upward trajectory on the professional circuit.

Tobi Amusan, who set the 100m hurdles world record of 12.12s at this venue in 2022, returns to familiar ground. She will race against reigning Olympic champion Masai Russell of the U.S. and Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Tokyo 2020 gold medallist and Paris 2024 bronze medallist.

In the men’s shot put, Nigeria’s Chukwuebuka Enekwechi—ranked seventh globally—will contend with elite competition, including Americans Joe Kovacs and Ryan Crouser, and Jamaica’s Rajindra Campbell. Enekwechi boasts a personal best of 21.91m and a season's best of 21.62m.

Rosemary Chukwuma, former Youth Olympic champion and 2019 African Games gold medallist, will compete in the women’s 100m invitational. With a personal best of 10.88s, she faces a competitive field including Aleia Hobbs (USA), Natasha Morrison (Jamaica), and rising Jamaican sprinter Alana Reid.

This year’s Prefontaine Classic will feature nearly 300 athletes from over 40 countries and 27 professional events—17 of which are Diamond League disciplines. With 98 Olympic and Paralympic medallists, including 48 gold medal winners and 14 world record holders, the event promises to be one of the most talent-rich track meets in history.

The meet begins at 6:00 p.m. WAT and will be broadcast live globally via NBC and the Diamond League YouTube channel for viewers outside the United States.