Three Nigerian women in historic Olympics long jump final

The saying that whatever men can do, women can do better played out on Tuesday at the Paris 2024 Olympics. For the first time in history, three Nigerians competed in the final of the long jump event at the Games, as the trio of Ese Brume, Ruth Usoro and Prestina Ochonogor, scaled the qualification
hurdles. The trio battled nine other athletes for medals in the final at the famous Stade de France.

Brume, who grabbed a bronze medal at the last Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, left her best for the last with a 6.76m leap to qualify for her third straight Olympic long jump final. After two jumps, Brume looked to be on her way out at the qualifying phase for the first time after jumping 6.44m and 6.40m in her first two jumps. But she responded with a 6.76m in her final jump, one centimeter above the 6.75m qualification mark to seal her place in the final.

Ruth Usoro was the first to confirm her place in the final jumping 6.68m in her second attempt after fouling her first, while Prestina Ochonogor also booked her place in the final with her second-round leap of 6.65m after opening with a rather mediocre 6.27m.

Brume and the two other Nigerians battled reigning Olympic champion, Malaika Mihambo of Germany who, like Brume, sealed qualification with her third leap (6.86m) after fouling her first two jumps. Also, to face the Nigerians is Italian, Larissa Iapichino, finalist at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest who jumped 6.87m.

Tara Davis-Woodhall, reigning World indoor champion and silver medalist at the World outdoor championships last year in Budapest led the qualifiers with her 6.90m second round attempt. Brume, who is one of Nigeria’s most consistent and dedicated athletes made her third
appearance at the Olympics.

During her first outing at Rio 2016, she made it to the final when other top athletes failed. And at her second outing in Tokyo, Japan, she rescued a bronze medal for Team Nigeria when hopes for medals had faded away.

Brume secured a historic fourth long jump title at the 23rd African Championships in Douala, Cameroon, last month, becoming the first athlete to win four long jump titles in thecompetition’s history. She is the first African to win two long jump medals at the World Athletics Championships.

Usoro is the reigning African Games Champion in the Triple Jump, a 2022 World Championships finalist, and a two-time NCAA division one triple jump champion from her time at Texas Tech.

The 26-year-old, born in Akwa-Ibom State, is the youngest in a family of six. Her father, a passionate soccer player, inspired her love for sports.   Following her massive jump at the Jarvis Scott Open, Usoro qualified for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The Texas Tech University athlete leaped 6.87 metres in her last attempt to beat the Olympic qualifying standard of 6.82 metres.

By winning the long jump category at the Open, Usoro qualified for her debut Olympic Games after missing out on the 2020 Games.
Her interest in track and field began when her family watched the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Inspired by the athletes, she declared to her father that she would one day represent her country.

Her first competition was a Cowbell-sponsored event at the University of Lagos, where she won a cherished flask.   Usoro’s official journey in track and field began when her father took her to a Lagos stadium, where she met Coach Uremu Adu. She competed in various school competitions, developing her skills and winning multiple medals.

While Ochonogor was a silver medalist in the long jump at the 2023 African U18 Championships in Ndola, Zambia. She was also a bronze medalist in the long jump at the 2023 African Games in Accra, with a personal best of 6.67 metres. She won the Confederation of African Athletics
(CAA) Region 2 Championship in Accra in June 2024. Later that month, she became Nigerian national champion in the long jump, jumping 6.75 metres in Benin City. In July 2024, she was officially named as part of the Nigerian team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.