I’m fulfilled, Brume speaks after silver medal feat in Belgrade

• U.S.-based Usoro thanks AFN
• Ojokolo relishes experience

After grabbing a silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, a feat that took Nigeria back to the competition’s podium after 14 years, long jumper, Ese Brume, says she is fulfilled.

“At a point, I thought it was going to be a mission impossible, especially when I was finding it a bit difficult to get it right on the runway,” Brume told The Guardian in a telephone interview soon after receiving her medal on Sunday night in Belgrade, Serbia.

Brume’s feat is the first for Nigeria since Olusoji Fasuba raced to 60m gold in Valencia in 2008. She lept 6.85m personal season’s best in the third round to move to the silver medal position behind pre-championship favourite, home girl, Ivana Vuleta, who took early command of the event with a 6.89m best in the second round before improving top 7.06m in the fourth round.

Brume revealed that after her first jump of 6.22m, and the second (6.47m), she had to adjust quickly. “I used those two jumps to perfect my movement on the runway. I was trying to avoid committing foul on the takeoff board, so I had to calculate very well before jumping. I must praise the efforts of coach Endurance Ojokolo, who was busy relating with my coach (Kayode Yahaya) on phone, and telling me how to correct the mistakes. It really worked for me.

“This is my first event this year, and I am glad I got a silver medal. It will inspire me towards the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, U.S. and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England,” Brume stated.

Brume thanked AFN President, Tonobok Okowa, for his efforts towards positioning Nigerian athletes to become world-beaters, just as she called on corporate organisations in the country to give the athletes sponsorship backing.

The feat moved Brume to the top of the African and Nigerian indoor list for the year, joint fourth in the African all-time list behind Chioma Ajunwa (6.97m), Blessing Okagbare (6.87m) and Sierra leone’s Eunice Barber (6.86m).

On her part, U.S.-based jumper, Ruth Usoro, who set a new personal season’s best of 6.69m to place eighth in the final classification in Belgrade on Sunday, was full of appreciation to the AFN for giving her the platform to showcase her talent.

“This is my first international competition ever and I am really grateful to everyone that made it possible,” Usoro, from Akwa Ibom State said.

She described Belgrade 2022 World Indoor Championships as an eye opener. “I actually had great fun here in Belgrade and I am going back to the United States to train for the challenges ahead,” Usoro stated.

MEANWHILE, former sprinter, coach Endurance Ojokolo, has described as ‘wonderful’ the experience of guiding Brume to a silver medal at the World Indoor Championship in Belgrade.

Brume is an intelligent athlete, very humble and coolheaded,” Ojokolo said. “She made my job very easy by listening to every instruction I passed to her from the stand. I was relating with her coach on phone, and whatever mistakes we noticed I passed to her. After her two attempts, I told her to increase her speed, particularly in the last 10 metres to the takeoff board. She did and I am grateful it paid off in a big way. I really cherish this silver medal,” Ojokolo said in a chat with The Guardian from their hotel in Belgrade.
The team is expected to return to home tomorrow.