L-R: Ese Brume, Blessing Oborududu
Nigeria’s wait for a medal at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics ended as two athletes got a silver and bronze medal.
Commonwealth champion Blessing Oborududu, 32, won a silver medal in the women’s 68kg freestyle wrestling event, while long jumper Ese Brume, 25, leapt 6.97 meters to claim a bronze medal.
Both athletes were already assured of medals heading into the last stages of their competition. Oborududu had recorded an impressive 7-2 victory over London 2012 Olympics bronze medalist Battsetseg Soronzonbold of Mongolia in the semi-final.
Oborududu’s impressive outing at the Olympics won her the historic mark as the first wrestler representing Nigeria to win a medal at the Olympics.
Blessing Oborududu
Brume’s bronze broke a 13-year drought since Nigeria won a medal at track and field at the Olympics. Star athlete Blessing Okagbare won the country’s last medal, a silver medal in Beijing 2008.
Brume’s win also made long jump the first individual event to give Nigeria three medals at the Olympics with Chioma Ajunwa’s gold at the Atlanta ‘96 Olympics topping Okagbare’s silver from 2008 and Brume’s bronze.
Brume joins Okagbare and Glory Alozie as the only Nigerians to win individual medals at both the Worlds and the Olympics.
Ese Brume
