Tobi Amusan, a former world champion in the 100-meter hurdles, and Ezekiel Nathaniel, a 400-meter hurdles athlete, have secured their spots at next year’s Olympic Games in Paris, France.
World Athletics revealed the pathway to qualify for athletics at Paris 2024 last December, including the entry standards athletes will need to achieve between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.
Amusan became the first Nigerian athlete to secure her place at the Games. She achieved this feat at the BAUHAUS-Galan Diamond League event in Stockholm, Sweden, on July 2, where she clocked an impressive 12.52secs in the 100m hurdles race at the Olympiastadion. The entry standard for the 100m hurdles was set at 12.77 seconds.
The Ogun State born athlete has since improved her time, recording a personal season’s best of 12.34secs at the Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Diamond League event in Chorzów, Poland on July 16.
Nathaniel, the 400m hurdles record holder (48.42secs) for Nigeria, earned his ticket to his first-ever Olympics by competing at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. The 20-year-old clocked a time of 48.47secs, surpassing the entry standard of 48.70secs.
Nathaniel, the 400-meter hurdles record holder (48.42 seconds) for Nigeria, had to compete in the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary in order to qualify for his first-ever Olympics. The 20-year-old beat the entrance threshold of 48.70 seconds by clocking in at 48.47 seconds.
Meanwhile, long jumper Ese Brume narrowly missed securing her spot for the Paris Olympics at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, falling short by just two centimeters with a jump of 6.84 meters, placing her fourth in the final. However, she still has an opportunity to meet the required 6.86m mark to qualify for the global event.
Her next opportunity will come in the Diamond League final in Oregon, USA, which is set for September 16–17. Brume has previously competed in two Olympic Games, placing fifth on her debut in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016, and third in Tokyo, Japan, in 2021.
