Commonwealth
and African female long jump champion, Ese Brume is on her way to Lausanne,
Switzerland, where she hopes to hit the 6.75m qualification standard in the
long jump set for the fast approaching London 2017 IAAF World Senior Athletics
Championship. The Athletissima meeting in Lausanne will hold on July 6.
Athletissima
is an annual athletics event, which first edition took place in 1977. Brume was
almost the sole reason many Nigerians stuck to athletics after all the ‘big
names’ failed to live up to their billings at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
She was the
only Nigerian athlete to make the final in an individual event when she smashed
her personal best of 6.68m with a jump of 6.81m on the final day to finish
fifth overall. Brume, who was 20 years old then, was the youngest among the
women jumpers at the Rio Olympics.
The Delta
State-born jumper left Nigeria a few months ago for North Cyprus, where she is
on a scholarship programme with Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta,
studying Tourism and Hospitality management.
Speaking
with The Guardian at the weekend, Brume, who has a sponsorship deal with kits
manufacturing company, Adidas, sounded optimistic of making the qualification
mark for the London World Championship in Lausanne.
She has been
travelling around the world since the beginning of the season attending various
competitions to equip herself for the London Games. She was at the Drake
Relays, where she placed second with a jump of 6.41m, just as she also attended
the University Games, Pamukele in Turkey, where she placed first, setting a new
record in the process with a jump of 6.68m.
She flew to
Boston, United States, earlier this month for the Boost Boston Games, where she
placed third with a jump of 6.50m.
She is full
of confidence going into the Athletissima meeting in Lausanne saying: “I have
worked so hard since I returned from the Boost Boston Games, and I pray things
work out fine this time.”
Brume, a
gold medallist at 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and African Championship
in Morocco wants to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians once again.
She is still
missing the technical support of her coach Yahaya Kayode, whom she says may
join her soon in North Cyprus. “His presence means a lot for me.”
Brume
actually made the 6.75m qualification mark in one of the competitions she
attended recently, but she fouled in the process. “It was a very painful
experience, which I pray won’t repeat itself again.”
This season,
Brume remains Nigeria and Africa’s top jumper with her 6.68m mark at the
Pamukele meet in Turkey. Interestingly, Brume’s 6.83m jump last season was also
Nigeria and Africa’s best performance of the year.
Nigeria’s
sprint queen, Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor made what was seen as a pedestrian
performance at the Oslo Diamond League meeting earlier this month, where she
placed seventh with a leap of 6.48m Guardian reported.
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