Brume, Alongside Two Other Nigerian Athletes, Embarks On A Quest For A Long Jump Medal.

Duro Ikhazuagbe Reporting from Paris

In a significant milestone for Nigeria’s Olympic Games history, the country will be represented by three long jumpers in the event’s final at Stade de France tonight.

Following the qualifying rounds earlier this week, Ese Brume, the reigning African Games and African Athletics Championships champion, will lead Ruth Usoro and Prestina Ochonorgor as they compete in the long jump to strive for a podium finish.

Brume, who won a remarkable bronze medal in the previous Games in Tokyo, is among the key jumpers to watch out for today.

Despite battling injuries for most of the season, the 28-year-old Brume expressed her confidence in her fitness to compete. Prior to winning a bronze medal in Tokyo in 2018, she finished fifth on her Olympic debut in Rio 2016. Her career then took off, winning a silver at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.

This season, only two athletes, defending champion Malaika Mihambo (7.22m) and reigning world indoor champion Tara Davis-Woodhall (7.18m), have achieved the 7m mark, making them the favorites for the gold medal. Brume, with a personal season’s best of 6.84m, hopes to find her form today and become the first Nigerian athlete to win two individual medals at the Olympics.

Brume has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to perform on the big stage. Her coach, Kayode Yahaya, will surely stress the importance of maintaining her remarkable record of podium finishes in global and continental championships since 2019, with the exception of the World Athletics Championships last year in Budapest, Hungary.

The other two Nigerian representatives in the event, Ruth Usoro, a finalist in the World Indoor Championships in 2022, and Prestina Ochonorgor, were not mentioned in the earlier discussion. However, Usoro holds a personal season’s and lifetime best of 6.87m, which currently ranks first among Nigerian athletes in 2024.

If Brume secures the gold medal, Nigeria will celebrate its second long jump medal after Chioma Ajunwa’s 7.12m jump brought glory to the nation in Atlanta 1996.

In other events yesterday, Samuel Ogazi, the Nigerian entry in the men’s 400m final, fell short of a top finish as he came from behind. Udodi Onwuzurike also faced disappointment in his bid to reach the 200m final.