Ese Brume: The Long Jump Gold is My Target

Duro Ikhazuagbe Live in Paris

Nigeria’s hope in the women’s long jump event, Ese Brume, has said nothing short of the gold medal is her ambition in Paris 2024.

Speaking with THISDAY inside the Athletes Village yesterday, the Delta-born Brume said after winning a bronze medal at the last Games in Tokyo, her ambition is to improve to gold.

“I want to win the gold medal. That is my ambition here at Paris 2024,” stressed the back-to-back Commonwealth Games gold medallist. 

She admitted to having recovered fully from the injuries that dogged the better part of her outdoor season.

“I am ok now. My injuries are gone. I just pray that luck is on my side to get one beautiful jump in the final on Thursday,” stressed Brume.

Interestingly, this is the first time that Nigeria will have three of her athletes in the final of the long jump final. 

Apart from Brume who jumped 6.76m in the qualifying round to make the final, the other two jumpers include Ruth Usoro and Prestina Ochonogor.

Usoro impressed with a jump of 6.68m, showcasing her potential and earning her first Olympic final appearance while Ochonogor also made a remarkable debut with a modest jump of 6.65m good enough for the final.

Out of the 12 finalists, three are Nigerians, making this a significant moment in Nigeria’s athletic history. Since Nigeria began competing in the Olympics in 1952, the country has never had three athletes advance to the final of an individual event. 

This historic achievement was made more exciting by the inspiring performance of Ese Brume, who, despite being in danger of missing the final, delivered a clutch jump to secure her spot.

While Brume is no stranger to the Olympic finals, this will be the first time for Usoro and Ochonogor. 

The final will take place on Thursday, August 8th at 7:00 pm Nigerian time.