One of the country’s medal hopefuls at the 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary, Ese Brume, will begin her quest of winning a first gold medal at the competition on the opening day as she will be competing in the morning evet for a place in the final the following day.
After winning bronze at the 2019 championships in Doha and later upgraded to silver at the Oregon competition last year, the Commonwealth champion is due for gold, especially in the absence of her biggest rival, Malaika Mihambo, who is out due to injury.
Brume is already placed in Group A and will be looking forward to making it to the final and a place on the podium on Sunday, the second day of the World Championships.
The African Record Holder must jump a distance of 6.80m for automatic qualification with her Season Best 6.81m.
Apart from Brume, the reigning African champion in the men’s Shot-Put event, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, will be in action and hope to climb the podium on Saturday competing in Group A of the men’s Shot Put Qualification with a throw of 21.40m automatically qualifying him for the final.
Enekwechi Season’s Best is 21.69m with his Personal Best currently standing at 21.80m. he will however must be at his best to climb the podium with the final also taking place on the same day.
The 4x400m mixed relay team will also be in action the same day as Nigeria takes to the track in Heat 2 while running from Lane 9. The final is also taking place on the night of Saturday, August 19.
The last time a Nigerian man made a World Championships final in the men’s 100m was in 2007, when Olusoji Fasuba finished just outside the podium in Osaka.
This year, all eyes will be on the trio of Favour Ashe, who is Nigeria fastest man going to Budapest after running a new Personal Best and Season Best of 9.96secs, Usheoritse Itsekiri, with a Season and Personal Best of 10.02secs and Seye Ogunlewe, also with a Season and Personal Best of 10.03secs all fighting to make the next round as they will be competing on Saturday in the men’s 100m heat.
