Ese Brume hopes a gold rush by Nigeria’s women on the penultimate day of the Commonwealth Games will inspire girls in the country to take up sport.
The 26-year-old reclaimed her long jump title on a day when Tobi Amusan won 100m hurdles gold and they also triumphed in the women’s 4x100m relay.
That took Nigeria’s Games tally to 12 gold medals, making them Africa’s top performers in Birmingham, England.
“I know this will be an inspiration for them,” Brume told BBC Sport Africa.
She added: “Of course, when you see someone you look up to doing well, you want to definitely be like them. So this is going to motivate and inspire them.
“I hope it works.”
External Link: Birmingham 2022 medal table
Three-time African champion Brume set a new Games record with a leap of 7.00 metres to win, adding a second Commonwealth gold to the one she claimed in Glasgow eight years ago.
After two jumps of 6.99m and one of 6.96m – which would all have been enough to secure top spot on the podium – Brume said her record jump demonstrated her consistency in her discipline.
“This is one thing I really wanted – to get the Games record,” she added.
“This is special for me, because it shows consistency. It shows the hard work of all those that have supported me, and my coach who has been backing me up.
“Sometimes it’s about how you’re able to show that what you’re doing is not a fluke.”
Amusan set a new Games record of 12.30 seconds to add the Commonwealth 100m hurdles title to her gold at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene.
The 25-year-old then returned to help Nigeria to 4x100m relay victory alongside Favour Ofili, Rose Chukwuma and Grace Nwokocha, who said the result was all the sweeter after they finished fourth in Oregon last month.
“We’ve been working so hard to get ourselves a fast time so that we could be at world level and we could be champions,” the 21-year-old Nwokocha added.
“It is what we have always wanted to be. When we went to the Worlds, we felt so disappointed we didn’t get a medal.”
Elsewhere at the Alexander Stadium on day 10 of the Games, Kenya had track triumphs as Wycliffe Kinyamal won the men’s 800m, while Beatrice Chebet took the women’s 5,000m title as compatriot Selah Busienei came third.
Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga won the men’s 400m in a personal best of 44.66 seconds.
Nigeria won bronze in the men’s 4x100m relay, and Kenya’s men picked up the same colour in the men’s 4x400m relay.
The East Africans had another medal when Julius Yego took men’s javelin bronze with a season’s-best throw of 85.70m, and Ghana’s Deborah Acquah won bronze in the women’s long jump with a personal best of 6.94m.
This year’s Games end on Monday evening. (BBC)
