Godson Brume picks Olympics ticket with 9.92secs

• Nathaniel sets new record

After missing the World Relays in Bahamas, Godson Brume fulfilled expectations at the SEC Outdoor Championships in Florida, where he ran inside 10 seconds (9.99sec) for the first time this season to book his ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics.He also retained the 100m title he won on his debut last year at LSU’s Bernie Moore Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Brume and Ashe Favour, who are Nigeria’s fastest sprinters at the moment, could not make the party to Bahamas two weeks ago. In their absence, U.S.-based Udodi Onwuzurike powered the nation’s 4x100m relay team to pick their ticket to Paris,

Brume, who had earlier anchored his school, Louisiana State University, to gold in the 4x100m event, served notice of his desire to successfully defend his title when he ran 10.05, the fastest qualifying time in the first round on Friday.

In what was predicted to be a fight between brothers following the qualification of Auburn University duo of Favour Ashe, the 2022 champion and freshman, Kanyinsola Ajayi for the final, Brume was the sole Nigerian that made it to the podium.

While Ajayi finished seventh, Ashe, who was in his school’s 4x100m relay team that came second just a little over an hour earlier, did not start in the final.

Brume has now moved 6-5 in head to head clashes with Ashe and 1-0 on Ajayi.

Meanwhile, Ezekiel Nathaniel was just whiskers away from becoming the first Nigerian man to run a sub-48 seconds over the 400m hurdles, as he won in the event at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships 2024.

According SportsNow.com., it was a new Nigerian record for Nathaniel, who has now broken the record twice this year after running 48.29 in Gainesville, Florida in April.

He first broke the record in 2022 after running past the 48.50 seconds that Henry Amike ran in 1987, breasting the tape in 48.42. Nathaniel has now moved up to number eight in the African all-time list.