Nigeria’s Ese Brume has won the first medal for the country in the Olympic long jump event. She won bronze in women’s long jump on Tuesday after finishing third. Brume leaped 6.97 metres with her very first jump to claim bronze behind second-placed Brittany Reece of the United States and gold medallist Malaika Mihambo of Germany. It is Nigeria’s first track and field medal at the Olympics since 2008 when Okagbare won a silver medal in Beijing. It also makes the long jump the first individual event to give Nigeria three medals at the Olympics with Chioma Ajunwa’s gold at the Atlanta ‘96 Olympics topping Okagbare’s silver from 2008 and Brume’s bronze.
Brume also joins Okagbare and Glory Alozie as the only Nigerians to win individual medals at both the Worlds and the Olympics.
Germany’s Malaika Mihambo soared to gold in the women’s long jump, snatching victory from former champion Brittney Reese with her last leap of the competition.
Brume is Nigeria’s sole representative in the jumps in Tokyo since the disqualification of Ruth Usoro by the Athletics Integrity Unit.