Nigerian long jump star Ese Brume is set to open her season this weekend at the 115th Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The multiple-day track and field meet will feature top amateur and professional athletes from across the globe, including Brume, who will be competing in her first event since her fifth-place finish at the Paris Olympics in August 2024.
After recovering from injuries sustained in a car crash in the USA last December, Brume began light training in March and is now ready to take on a strong field that includes 2024 Olympic gold medalist Tara Davis-Woodhall and 2021 Olympian Quanesha Brooks. Following her below-par show in Paris, the Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist vowed it would be the last time she would miss out on the podium at a major competition.
“To be honest, it was an amazing experience for me,” Brume said in an interview with Making of Champions after the event. “Looking back to where I’m coming from, I didn’t compete much this year because of injuries. I promise myself and promise the world that this is the last time I’m not going to get a medal.”
The 29-year-old is one of Nigeria’s most decorated athletes, with a plethora of laurels from the junior to the senior level. She is a two-time Commonwealth gold medallist, four-time African champion, and currently holds the African record in the women’s long jump with a jump of 7.17m, which she achieved in 2021.
With her sights set on a strong performance at the Drake Relays, Brume is determined to make a statement and prove herself as a force to be reckoned with in the world of track and field. Her determination and promise to herself and the world to win a medal will undoubtedly drive her to deliver an impressive performance.