Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has congratulated Nigerian long jumper, Ese Brume for her second-place finish in the long jump event at the Diamond League in Eugene, Oregon.
The Nigerian jumped the same marks as the winner, Serbian Ivana Vuketa, at 6.58m, but they were only separated on countback.
Count back is tiebreaker used when the top heights of two or more high jumpers or pole vaulters are identical. The athlete who fails the fewest attempts at that height or in the whole competition is declared the winner.
On his social media post to celebrate the success of Brume, he lauded the Nigerian for finishing strong despite missing out on first place by a slim margin.
Brume came close to winning her first Diamond League title after leaping 6.85m (0.2) to finish 2nd in the women’s long jump as she hit her biggest jump of the year.
The reigning Olympic bronze medalist and Commonwealth champion was so close to making history as Nigeria’s first field athlete to win a Diamond League trophy, but she lost out by a slim margin.
Brume did not get a chance to respond to Ivana’s 6.85m, passing up her 6th attempt with what seemed like an injury.
World champion, Serbia’s Ivana Vuleta, won the long jump title for the third consecutive time and her fifth overall Diamond League title.
Enoh wrote, “Ese Brume has continued to make us proud time and again. From the Olympics to the Commonwealth Games to the Diamond Leagues, Ese has consistently ranked amongst the top athletes in her sports, globally,”
“While it is disappointing that she narrowly missed out on the Diamond League title, I want to state that the country remains proud of her achievements. I am sure that she will bounce back and take her rightful place. I urge her and other athletes likewise to stay focused on the bigger picture as we draw closer to the 2024 Olympic Games.”
Brume won a bronze medal at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo, before winning silver medals at the 2022 World Athletics Championships and World Indoor Championships in Eugene and Belgrade, respectively.
She also won gold in Birmingham, during the Commonwealth Games which was held in the summer of 2022 to retain the title she won in 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland.
At the recently concluded World Championships in Budapest, Brume’s chance of making history for Nigeria ended agonizingly after she finished fourth in the women’s long jump final.
The Nigerian was so close to making history as the most decorated athlete in World Championships history from the West African country, having won bronze and silver medals in 2019 and 2022.
