Nigerian long-jumper, Ese Brume has recovered instantly from the setback of the women’s long jump final at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest as she claimed a bronze medal at the Xiamen Diamond League in China.
The 27-year-old who won bronze in the 2019 edition of the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, and earned a silver medal in Oregon, US in 2022, was one of Nigeria’s brightest hopes for a medal in Budapest. However, that dream was ended after Brume finished fourth in the final.
Despite recording a season’s best jump of 6.84 meters, her mark was not enough to give Nigeria a medal.
Compatriot Tobi Amusan lost her world women’s 100m hurdles crown to Jamaica’s Danielle Williams as the former champions failed to earn a podium finish.
The 26-year-old failed in her bid to become the third woman in World Championships history to successfully defend the 100m hurdles title after Gail Devers achieved the feat (1991 and 1993) and Michelle Perry (2005 and 2007).
Despite failing to make a podium finish, Amusan remains a world record in her speciality — 12.12secs set on her way to winning the world title in Oregon, US last year.
At the Xiamen Diamond League in China, Ese bettered the 6.84 meters she recorded in Budapest, as she jumped 6.71m (-0.6) to finish 3rd in the competition and record a new season best.
She also made history as the first Nigerian field-event athlete to qualify for the final of the Diamond League athletics series.
World Champion Ivana Vuleta from Serbia claimed gold with 6.88m while Marthe Koala from Burkina Faso finished second for silver with 6.79m.
For her effort, Brume earned six points and an overall points total of 16 to secure her place as one of the six athletes that will compete in Oregon, USA where the final of the event will hold in a fortnight.
For the first time, Nigeria will now have two athletes at the final of the Diamond League in the same year.
Amusan made history in 2021 when she became the first Nigerian to win a Diamond League trophy. She successfully defended her title last year, running a 12.29 meeting record at the Weltklasse in Zurich.
This year, Amusan will be gunning to become the second woman after Dawn Harper-Nelson to win a hat-trick of Diamond League titles in the 100m hurdles.
Brume, on the other hand, will be seeking to become the second Nigerian to win a Diamond League trophy and the first to do it in the field event.
A recent release of the rankings by the World Athletics showed that Brume is now ranked 5th in the Women’s long jump event.
The Olympic bronze medallist improved from her 223rd placement before the Budapest championship to 142 best in the world overall ranking for women.
Amusan dropped from her 10th placement just before the World champion in Budapest to 24th position, just days after she lost her number one spot in the women’s hurdles event to Puerto Rica’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn.
Rosemary Chukwuma is now the highest-ranked Nigerian in the women’s 100m (58) with Tima Godbless (99) the other Nigerian sprinter in the top 100 of the event. In the 200m, Favour Ofili, once ranked the 14th best in the event has now improved to 32nd after dropping to 35th before the championships.
Reigning Nigeria men’s 100m champion, Ushoritse Ishekiri is the number one ranked man in the event (41st), followed by Godson Oghenebrume (44th), Seye Ogunlewe (42nd), Favour Ashe (54th) and Udodi Onwuzurike (60th).
