Fresh from their inspiring performances at the just concluded World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, United States of America, the duo of Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume have arrived the camp of Team Nigeria in Birmingham.
Both athletes breezed into the Commonwealth Games Birmingham (CGB) Games Village camp in the early hours of Thursday to a rousing welcome by officials and athletes alike.
Amusan, the World Record holder (12.12 seconds) and recently crowned World champion in the 100m hurdles and Long Jumper Ese Brume are favourites to clinch gold in their different events as they did at the last Commonwealth Games they were part of.
Amusan ran 12.68 seconds to win the 100m hurdles gold four years ago at the Gold Coast, Australia ahead of Jamaican duo of Danielle Williams Jamaica (12.78) and Yanique Thompson (12.97).
The 25 year old will be seeking to become the second athlete in Commonwealth Games history after Australia’s Sally Pearson (2010 and 2014) to successfully defend the 100m hurdles title since 1970 when the event moved from 80m to 100m.
Amusan is also the only Nigerian woman to win the sprint hurdles title at the Games and will certainly feel confident of breaking the 12.65 seconds Games record set by Jamaica’s Brigitte Foster-Hylton in 2006 in Melbourne, Australia.
Brume on her part is returning to the Games to reclaim the title she relinquished without a fight four years ago.
The 26 year old African record holder in the long jump (7.17m) won the gold medal in her debut eight years ago in Glasgow, Scotland.
Athletics experts and coaches in Team Nigeria camp believe the positive energy and momentum of both Amusan and Brume will boost the confidence of the other athletes in camp.
