Paris 2024: Amusan, Nathaniel Qualify For Olympic Games

 

Former World 100m hurdles champion, Tobi Amusan, and 400m hurdler, Ezekiel Nathaniel, have secured their spots at next year’s Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Last December, World Athletics had revealed the pathway to qualify for athletics at Paris 2024, including the entry standards athletes will need to achieve

Amusan became the first Nigerian athlete to secure her place at the Games. She achieved the 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 26-year-old 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 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.

Meanwhile, long jumper, Ese Brume missed 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.

She will have her next chance at the Diamond League final in Oregon, USA, which is scheduled to take place between September 16-17. Brume has previously participated in two Olympic Games, finishing fifth in her debut in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and earning a third-place finish five years later in Tokyo, Japan.