Ofili opts out of $12.6m Grand Slam Track meet

Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili has withdrawn from the highly anticipated inaugural Grand Slam Track meet, which will take place in Kingston, Jamaica from Friday, April 4 to Sunday, April 6.

The event organizers announced that Ofili was one of 10 athletes who would no longer participate due to injuries and other unforeseen circumstances.

Ofili, who had originally been confirmed to compete in the women’s 100m and 200m sprints alongside Olympic medalists such as Melissa Jefferson, Brittany Brown, and Daryll Neita, has been replaced by Jamaican athlete Jodean Williams.

Kyle Merber, Senior Director of Racing for Grand Slam Track (USA), explained, “While injuries and unexpected circumstances are out of our control, we’ve chosen to be transparent with fans rather than keep them in the dark. We are excited by the interest from athletes to compete in this initial event and are fortunate to have filled the open spots with such high-quality competitors who will be contending for wins.”

The inaugural meet in Kingston will be followed by other Grand Slam events in Miramar, Florida (May 2-4), Philadelphia at Franklin Field (May 30-June 1), and Los Angeles at UCLA’s Drake Stadium (June 27-29).

Ofili, who had a challenging outing at the Paris Olympics last year, kicked off her 2025 season in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she ran 7.26 seconds to win the preliminary round of the Women’s 60m Olympic Development heat.

She went on to clinch the women’s 60m dash title at the LSU Twilight meet with a season-best time of 7.26 seconds, edging out Thelma Davies, who finished in 7.27 seconds.