Brume set to make 2024 Diamond League debut in Rome, Amusan finally out

Barring any last-minute changes, African long jump queen, Ese Brume will finally make her 2024 Wanda Diamond League debut at the end of the month at the Golden Gala in Rome, Italy.

The 28-year-old is top on the list of 10 athletes announced for the event by the event’s organizers.

The Nigerian has been handed a lifeline in her bid to qualify for her second straight Diamond League final following the expected absence of athletes who could have derailed her bid in Rome.

In fact, Brume’s major obstacle for the sixth, and only available, spot is reigning Olympic champion, Tare Davis-Woodhall who is also making her 2024 Diamond League debut in Rome.

It is looking like a winner-takes-all battle between the Nigerian and the American.

Brume has only beaten Davis-Woodhall twice in nine head-to-head clashes, but the African Games and African Athletics Championships’ champion will be hoping for a third in 10 clashes with the American.

Neither Brume nor Davis-Woodhall could upstage the five athletes above them, including former Olymoic champion, Malaika Mihambo who will not be in Rome but who has garnered 10 points to stay in fifth position.

The best Brume and Davis-Woodhall can get is eight points which looks good enough to get the sixth spot unless Romanian, Rotaru-Kottmann Alina and Spain’s Diame Fátima finish in the top three and top two respectively.

Meanwhile, Tobi Amusan will not be defending her 100m hurdles Diamond League title after she was not listed for the event in Rome.

Unless the 27-year-old gets a wild card to compete in the final, she cannot mathematically make the top eight that will run in Brussels, Belgium next month even if she makes the list for the final qualifying meet in Zurich and wins it.

Shot putter, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi has been confirmed to make his third Diamond League appearance in Rome after competing in Eugene in May and expected to compete in Silesia, Poland on Sunday.