AFRICAN GAMES
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Ese Brume flew to the gold medal of the women’s Long Jump event of the 13th African Games to be concluded in Accra, Ghana tomorrow.
Brume won the precious medal with a first round 6.92m jump to retain the gold she won at the last edition in Rabat, Morocco in 2019.
It was a welcome relief for the ‘Delta Flying Queen’ who many athletics watchers had hoped would face stiff competition from Ruth Usoro who had Africa’s leading 6.87m Jump before the Games in Ghana.
Surprisingly, Brume was untouchable. Despite not getting anywhere near her Personal Best of 7.17m, Brume, a hat-trick African Champion, double Commonwealth Games champion, a bronze and silver medal winner at the World Athletics Championship in Doha (Qatar) and Eugene, (USA), was good enough to rule the continent till the next Games.
Instead of Usoro, it was new girl Prestina Ochonogor who claimed the bronze medal with her 6.67m jump. Usoro finished a disappointing fourth outside the podium with her 6.62m. Burkina Faso’s Koala Jasmine won the silver medal.
In the women’s Discus, defending champion and African record holder, Chioma Onyekwere was upset by compatriot Obiageri Amaechi. Obiageri won the gold medal with her 58.93m throw. Onyekwere settled for the silver with her 58.03m while Cameroon’s Nora Monie took the bronze medal.
Nigeria’s men and women booked their places in the finals of the 200m events to hold today. Alaba Akintola (21.00secs) and Consider Ekanem (20.93 secs) easily won their respective semi final races same way Olayinka Olajide (23.51sec) also made it to the final of the women’s version.
