It was a mixed fortune for Team Nigeria as the 26-man contingent opened their 2023 World Championships campaign in Budapest
On a sour note, shot putter, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi and the mixed 4x400m relay team failed to make the finals of their events.
Enekwechi failed to place among the top 12 qualifiers in the men’s shot put qualifying round with a throw of 20.68 metres.
Also, the mixed 4x400m relay team of Dubem Nwachukwu, Patience Okon-George, Ezekiel Nathaniel, and Imaobong Uko performed poorly in their qualifying round.
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They ran a Season’s Best (SB) of 3:1438, but it wasn’t enough as they finished eighth in their heat.
Meanwhile, Ese Brume is Nigeria’s first finalist after clearing 6.72m to qualify for her third consecutive final.
The 27-year-old’s score was good enough for fourth place in her qualifying round and a spot among the top 12 finals – a bold assertion that she remains a medal favourite.
If she wins a medal in Budapest, Brume would become Nigeria’s first athlete to have three medals in World Championships history. Her previous medals were bronze and silver at Doha 2019 and Oregon 2022.
The African record holder will also look to add to her record of being the only Nigerian to win two medals in the long jump event at the tournament.
Ruth Usoro, on the other hand, missed the final because her 6.60m fell only 1cm short of twelfth place.
