Ese Brume hits final as Usoro, Enekwechi, mixed relay team lose

Nigeria’s Ese Brume competes in the women’s long jump qualification during the World Athletics Championships at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest on August 19, 2023. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

World Athletics Championships Silver Medalist, Ese Brume, scaled the first hurdles as the 2023 edition of the championship began yesterday in Budapest, Hungary.

Brume restored hope for Team Nigeria by finishing fourth in Group A of the qualification round with a jump of 6.72metres. But she must improve on her jumps to guarantee a podium finish when the final comes up by 11.56am today.

The second Nigerian woman long jumper, Ruth Usoro, could not make it to the final, as she finished eighth in Group B with a jump 6.60m.

Earlier, yesterday, Team Nigeria’s Shot Putter, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi and the 4x400m mixed relay quartet of Dubem Nwachukwu, Patience Okon George, Nathaniel Ezekiel and ImaobongNse Uko failed to make it beyond the group stage.

Enekwechi, finalist in the last two editions, started on the wrong note at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest with a no throw in the opening round.

The 30-year-old threw 20.41m in the second and 20.68m in the third round to exit the competition. Enekwechi finished eighth in his debut at the Championships in 2019 in Doha, Qatar and 11th in Oregon, U.S. last year.

The 4x400m Mixed relay team finished sixth in the second semifinal heat after running a 3:14.38 personal season’s best. They could not progress from their group.

Brume is on track to become the first Nigerian to win three medals at the World Athletics Championships. She will also be hoping to extend her record as the only Nigerian to win two medals in the same event in the history of the championships.

The African long