• Following a doping scandal, the Athletics Integrity Unit suspends Nwokocha
Ese Brume, who won gold in the long jump at the Olympics, the World Championships, and the Commonwealth Games, may not compete in the prestigious Diamond League final tomorrow in Zurich, Switzerland, in contrast to prior media reports.
Brume had a fantastic Diamond League night on September 2, 2022, winning at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme in Brussels, Belgium. In her third attempt, she cleared a distance of 6.83m to win.
Prior to that, there had been media reports stating that the holder of the African record (7.17 meters) is one of the eight athletes who have been officially confirmed to compete in the Diamond League final in Zurich between September 7 and 8. If successful, this would make him or her the first field athlete from Nigeria to win a Diamond League championship.
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Before that, media reports claimed that the holder of the African record (7.17 meters) was one of the eight athletes who had been officially confirmed to compete in the Diamond League final in Zurich on September 7 and 8. If successful, she would become the first Nigerian field athlete to win a Diamond League championship.
Track and field fans in Nigeria might not get to see Brume compete tomorrow, though.
In a communication to The Guardian over the weekend, Brume stated, "I am not sure if I will compete in Zurich yet.
Brume, who has medals from every major sports event, continued, "Right now, I'm rated number seven, and they're only taking six people for jumps. Without a cancellation, I might not even be in Zurich.
According to prior reports, Brume finished seventh in the ranking and earned nine points, which qualified her for the Zurich final after placing second (seven points) in Eugene, Oregon, and seventh (two points) in Stockholm, Sweden.
The outcome of tomorrow's race in Zurich will not be determined by the number of points amassed over the season, but rather by the winner of the particular race, which would have offered Brume the opportunity to make history.
At the time of yesterday's late afternoon, Brume was still awaiting word from her agent regarding any last-minute adjustments that would allow her to take part in the Diamond League Final.
Brume would become the second Nigerian athlete to accomplish this feat following sprint hurdler Tobi Amusan, who triumphed in the high hurdles event at the same site last year.
Amusan, who was not present in Brussels on September 2, will compete in the historic championship tomorrow in Zurich.
MEANWHILE, The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has given Nigeria's 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medalist Grace Nwokocha a temporary suspension for doping.
Nwokocha is on the list of athletes who have been provisionally suspended for a variety of doping offenses that was posted on the athletics governing body's website over the weekend. Nwokocha ran the anchor leg for Nigeria in the winning 4100 women's relay.
It said that Nwokocha's sample included ostarine and lingadrol. She has been placed under provisional suspension until the end of the investigation as a result of a urine sample taken on August 3, 2022, during the Commonwealth Games.
Nwokocha will no longer be permitted to compete until the World Anti-Doping Agency makes a decision (WADA).
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has informed the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) of the development while still awaiting confirmation of the B sample. If Nwokocha is found guilty, the team would typically lose both the medal and the performance.
