Cindy Ofili

Biography

Ofili is a native of Ypsilanti, Michigan, and the younger sister of fellow hurdler Tiffany Porter (née Ofili); 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 (7.37) and 200 metres (23.69).

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 (her father's country of origin); 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 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.