With the final confirmation of athletes, cum teams for the Belgrade 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships, Ese Brume remains Nigeria’s brightest hope in the women’s long jump event following the announcement of participants in the event.
Considered and listed as the second-best jumpers among 16 athletes listed for the long jump event which includes 2022 Ivana Vuleta of Serbia whose personal best of 7.24m remains best among the listed athletes. Also, the Serbian has the season’s best of 6.88m this year to be ranked number one in the event
Although Brume who set a new 7.17m African outdoor mark last May is the second-best rated jumper has been touted as a medal contender in the event.
Apart from Brume, Ruth Usoro will also be aiming for the podium in her maiden appearance at the tournament coming on the heels of her conquering the NCAA indoor and outdoor last year.
Nigeria’s quartet of Sikiru Adeyemi, Timothy Emeoghene, Samson Nathaniel, and Ifeanyi Ojeli is Nigeria’s sole flag bearer in the men’s event as they will be competing against 12 other countries in the 4X400m relay.
According to World Athletics, 12 reigning individual Olympic champions are among the entries for the Indoor Championships Belgrade 22 taking place on March 18 to 20. Over 680 athletes from 137 teams have been entered for the global event in Serbia. The 680 entries comprise 372 men and 308 women.
Due to the pandemic, World Athletics Indoor Championships action returns for the first time in four years, and among the entries are 10 defending individual champions from Birmingham in 2018.
The Tokyo Olympic champions going for further global gold in Serbia include world record-holders Ryan Crouser (shot put), Mondo Duplantis (pole vault), Jakob Ingebrigtsen (1500m) and Yulimar Rojas (triple jump), plus Selemon Barega (3000m), Marcell Jacobs (60m), Shaunae Miller-Uibo (400m), Katie Nageotte (pole vault), Pedro Pichardo (triple jump), Gianmarco Tamberi (high jump), Miltiadis Tentoglou (long jump) and Damian Warner (heptathlon).