The Nigerian Long Jump trio of Ese Brume, Prestina Ochonogor, and Ruth Usoro have made history at the Paris 2024 Olympics, becoming the first Nigerian trio to reach an Olympic final in an individual event.
Ruth Usoro set the pace in the first round, though her attempt resulted in a huge foul near the 7-meter mark. Ese Brume, meanwhile, managed 6.44m, and Prestina Ochonogor, competing in her first major championship, achieved 6.29m.
In the second round, Usoro made a significant leap, hitting 6.68m (1.4) to take the lead. Inspired by Usoro’s performance, Ochonogor soared to 6.65m, moving into second in her qualification group. Brume, still outside the automatic qualification mark of 6.75m and the top 12, managed only 6.40m.
Drawing on her extensive experience, African Record holder Brume delivered a clutch performance on her final attempt, jumping 6.76m to secure her place in the final. Usoro’s and Ochonogor’s jumps were also sufficient to advance.
The last time Nigeria had more than one athlete in an Athletics Olympic final was in 1996, when Falilat Ogunkoya and Fatimat Yusuf both made the women’s 400m final in Atlanta.
This historic achievement highlights the prowess of Nigerian athletes on the global stage and sets a new milestone in the nation’s Olympic journey.
