Ese Brume seeking to equal Okagbare feat in Monaco

World indoor and outdoor long jump silver medalist, Ese Brume will be looking to build on her 6.69m jump and second placed effort at the István Gyulai Memorial meeting at the Bregyó Athletic Center in Székesfehérvár, Hungary on Tuesday when she files out for her third Diamond League meeting of 2023 on Friday in Monaco.

The 27 year seems to be picking up form with her 6.69m effort, her best since she jumped 6.81m early last month in Chorzów, Poland.

Brume will be seeking for a morale boosting jump with less than a month to the start of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest where she will be aiming to turn a 2019 bronze win and 2022 silver medal effort to gold.

Victory for the ever-smiling Brume will not only secure her her first Diamond League win (not promotional) in her sixth attempt but also become the second
Nigerian after Blessing Okagbare in the Diamond League era to win in Monaco.

Okagbare, now serving an 11-year ban for anti-doping rule violation won twice at the Stade Louis 11. Her first win was in the 100m event in 2012 when she ran a then new lifetime best (10.96) and the second came the following year.

This time the Nigerian excelled in the long jump, soaring first to a wind-aided 7.04m in the second round before a wind-legal 7.00m in the third round. The mark is the best she has ever jumped.

Brume will also move at least second in the long jump ranking if she wins and take a huge step towards qualifying to compete in the Diamond League for the first time after narrowly missing a spot in 2022.

The Nigerian is fourth in the ranking with the nine points she garnered from her fourth place finish in Florence, Italy early last month and fifth place finish in Stockholm, Sweden early this month.

Italy’s Iapichino Larissa tops the standing with 16 points with the now injured Mihambo Malaika second (11 points) and BEKH-ROMANCHUK Maryna of Ukraine third (11 points).

Only Iapichino will be competing in Monaco and a win for Brume and a last place finish for the Italian will put the Nigerian top of the standing with only London (Sunday July 23) and first ever Wanda Diamond League meeting in Shenzhen in September remaining before the final in Eugene, Oregon, USA also in September.

Brume is however not registered for the event in London.