Cindy Ofili


Cindy Ofili is an American-born British track and field athlete, specialising in sprint hurdles. She finished fourth in the 100 metres hurdles final at the 2016 Olympic Games. Her best times, 12.60 secs for the 100 metres hurdles in 2015, and 7.89 secs for the 60 metres hurdles indoors in 2016, rank her third on the British all-time list for both events behind her sister and British record-holder, Tiffany Porter and Olympic champion helptathlete, Jessica Ennis-Hill.

Biography

Ofili is a native of Ypsilanti, Michigan, and the younger sister of fellow hurdler Tiffany Porter ; as her mother is British, she was born with both American and British citizenship. In 2014, her sophomore year at the University of Michigan, Ofili qualified for the 60 m hurdles final at the NCAA indoor championships, placing sixth in a personal best 8.07; outdoors, she broke 13 seconds in the 100 m hurdles for the first time, winning the Big Ten conference championship in 12.93. In addition to hurdling, she competed in the sprints, setting Michigan indoor school records at both 60 metres and 200 metres.
Ofili's times improved in 2015, and she became a leading collegiate hurdler; at the NCAA outdoor championships in Eugene she placed second in a personal best 12.60, losing only to Keni Harrison of Kentucky. She also qualified for the NCAA championship meet in the flat 100 m, but despite running a school record 11.39 she was eliminated in the semi-finals in that event.
Ofili could have chosen to internationally represent either the United States, Great Britain or Nigeria ; in June 2015 it was announced that she had selected Britain, following her older sister Tiffany Porter. The move caused some controversy in Britain, with detractors labeling Ofili a "plastic Brit"; Ofili, who unlike her sister had not represented the United States as a junior, stated she felt British. At the 2015 British championships Ofili placed second to Porter in 12.96, qualifying to represent Britain later that summer at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing.
Ofili finished fourth in the 100m hurdles final at the 2016 Rio Olympics, in 12.63 secs.

International competitions