Competing for a spot on the podium in the women’s long jump final at the Paris 2024 Olympics are Nigeria’s long jump trio – Ese Brume, Prestina Ochonogor, and Ruth Usoro. This marks a historic moment as they become the first Nigerian trio to reach the final of an individual event at the Olympics. The last time Nigeria had multiple athletes in an athletics Olympic final was back in Atlanta in 1996, when Falilat Ogunkoya and Fatimat Yusuf competed in the women’s 400m final.
These three jumpers secured their spots in the final as part of the top 12 athletes in the event, with Brume and Usoro qualifying from Group A, while Ochonogor made it through Group B.
Brume, who won a bronze medal in the long jump event at Tokyo 2020, achieved a mark of 6.76m in her third attempt, securing second place in her group behind USA’s Tara Davis-Woodhall. Usoro, the gold medalist in the triple jump at the African Games, also performed well with a leap of 6.68m. Ochonogor, the African Games bronze medalist, finished third in her group with a mark of 6.65m.
In the overall qualifying round standings, Brume finished fourth, Usoro fifth, and the 18-year-old Ochonogor in seventh place. With Brume leading the trio into the final, there are hopes for another medal for Team Nigeria.
Despite experiencing a challenging season leading up to the Games, Brume is considered one of Nigeria’s medal prospects in Paris. The 28-year-old, a four-time African champion, clinched a bronze in the event at the last Olympic Games with a jump of 6.97m in the final.