Tokyo 2020: Ese Brume Restores Nigeria’s Pride With Bronze In Women’s Long Jump

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Long Jump queen Ese Brume won Nigeria’s first medal in Athletics at an Olympics in 13 years as she took bronze in the women’s Long Jump in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Brume leapt 6.97m to finish in third place behind Germany’s Malaika Mihambo who took gold with 7m and USA’s Brittney Reese who made an identical mark as Brume but took the silver on count-back.

Brume set her bronze winning mark with her first attempt which led the way through the rounds until Mihambo surpassed it on her last attempt.

Delta State born Brume was seen as one of Nigeria’s real medal hopefuls at the delayed Tokyo Olympics following her exploits at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Doha where she won bronze in the women’s Long Jump with a leap of 6.91m to claim Nigeria’s first medal at the competition since 2013.

She then shattered Chioma Ajunwa’s 25-year African record of 7.10m set at the Atlanta Games in 1996 when she leapt an astonishing 7.17 metres at the Chula Vista Festival in May.

Brume’s podium finish comes a day after 10-time African champion Blessing Oborududu guaranteed Nigeria a first-ever Olympics medal in wrestling when she beat Battsetseg Soronzonbold of Mongolia to qualify for the finals of the women’s 68kg event.

Oborududu will face top seed Tamyra Stock Mensah in the final later on Tuesday.

Following a series of horrendous events for Team Nigeria in Japan, the last two days have restored some shine to the country’s battered image and after appearing to be a disaster, the Tokyo Games is shaping up to be one of the country’s most impressive outings at an Olympics.