With reigning world champion and world record holder Tobi Amusan out of the line up, revenge will not be on the card in the women’s 100m hurdles when the Diamond League makes its penultimate stop at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme in Brussels on Friday.
Instead, what most Nigerians will focus on is the return of the reigning Commonwealth Games long jump champion and record holder, Ese Brume to Diamond League action since June 30 when she competed at the BAUHAUS-Galan in Stockholm, Sweden.
Amusan is already through to the final of the high hurdles in Zurich next week where she will be gunning for her pound of flesh after losing to reigning Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn last week in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The 25 year old Nigerian will also be seeking to successfully defend the Diamond League 100m hurdles title she won last year.
For Brume however, Brussels presents her with an opportunity to end her season on a high after winning silver at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA and a gold and games record at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Barring any last minute withdrawal, the 26 year old is out of the Diamond League final and whatever the outcome of Friday’s meeting is in Brussels, it will have no bearing on the ranking for the final as the long jump is not among the Diamond League disciplines in Brussels.
Brume will however be seeking her first win on the road this season in a Diamond League setting outside her podium finishes at the world indoor championships in Serbia, the Nigerian championships in Benin city, the world outdoor championships in Oregon, USA and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Her second place finish at the Prefontaine Classics in Eugene, Oregon was the closest she came to winning in the Diamond League this season.
On Friday, the Nigerian will file out against rivals who are yet to hit the 7m mark either this year or in their entire career.
Brume’s mainchallenger for the first spot should be USA’s Quanesha Burks who holds a personal season’s best of 6.88m and a 6.96m career best.
The meeting record is 7.25m set in 1991 by Germany’s Heike Drechsler.
