September 03, (THEWILL) – Ese Brume made history this weekend by becoming the first Nigerian field athlete to qualify for the final of the prestigious Diamond League series.
The long jumper sealed her place in the Oregon showpiece by jumping 6.71m to finish third at the 12th of 14 meetings in Xiamen, China. Brume’s leap was enough to earn her six points and take her overall tally to 16, securing a spot among the top six athletes who will compete in the final.
For the first time, Nigeria will have two athletes in the Diamond League final this year, with sprint hurdler, Tobi Amusan, also set to feature. Amusan made League history in 2022 by defending her 100m hurdles title and will be looking to win an unprecedented third consecutive Diamond League trophy.
Brume will be seeking to emulate her compatriot by becoming the second Nigerian to claim Diamond League glory and the first to do so in a field event. The African long jump record holder will go up against a world-class field in Oregon, including reigning world indoor and outdoor champion Ivan Vuleta of Serbia, who set a meeting record of 6.88m in Xiamen. Italy’s Larissa Iapichino, USA’s Tara Davis-Woodhall and athletes from Australia, Ukraine and Burkina Faso will also compete.
The winner of each Diamond League event is awarded a Diamond Trophy, $30,000 prize money and an automatic qualifying spot at the World Athletics Championships. Brume will be hoping to add her name to this illustrious list when she takes to the runway in Oregon in two weeks.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
