Nigerian long jump sensation Ese Brume started her outdoor season with a bang at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix, winning the women’s Long Jump event in style with a world-leading distance of 6.77m.
Brume, who is the reigning African and Commonwealth champion, saved her best for last with a final round jump that secured her victory over Burkina Faso’s Marthe Koala, who had been leading the competition until then with a 6.69m leap in the third round.
Brume had started strongly with an opening round distance of 6.65m but failed to build on that momentum with subsequent jumps, allowing Koala to overtake her. However, in typical fashion, Brume delivered when it mattered most and jumped to a distance of 6.77m in her final attempt, much to the delight of the crowd at the National Stadium, Gaborone.
Brume’s winning mark on Saturday propelled her to the top of the world list, ahead of India’s Shaili Singh, who had jumped 6.76m.
Before her outing in Botswana, Brume had been testing the waters and improving her speed by participating in the 4x100m relay at the Texas Relays and racing in the 400m event at the Cameron Burrell Alumni Invitational, both in Texas.
With a winning jump at the Golden Grand Prix, the multiple medallist will be hoping to maintain good form as she targets another successful season that could culminate in the World Championships in Budapest.
Brume has been improving with each edition of the World Championships, winning the bronze medal in Doha and stepping up to silver at the subsequent edition in Oregon. All eyes will be on her to see if she can take another step forward in Budapest by winning the gold.
