Ochonogor looking to leap into history book as fourth Nigerian long jump medalist at World indoors
Prestina Ochonogor will be looking to make the best leap of her career in the long jump pit at the newly built Nanjing’s Cube gymnasium in the Nanjing Youth Olympic Sports Park in Nanjing, China as she bids to make history as the fourth different Nigerian to win a medal in the horizontal jump in the history of the World Indoor Championships.
Since Nigeria made her debut in the competition in 1985, only the 60m (men) and long jump (men and women) have produced three different medalists respectively albeit Nigeria has won more 400m (men and women) medals.
The trio of Chidi Imoh, Davidson Ezinwa and Olusoji Fasuba all won medals in the 60m event while Paul Emordi, Chioma Ajunwa and Ese Brume won in the long jump.
In the 400m, one man, Sunday Bada (now late) won three of the four medals (a gold and two silver medals) with Falilat Ogunkoya the last medal winner in the event.
At just 18, Ochonogor’s geometrical leap from a 6m jumper in 2022 and 2023 to 6.79m in 2024, as well as her consistent jump over 6.60m (five last year) and which helped in lifting her to the Paris 2024 Olympic final, shows the Nigerian is capable of delivering a huge jump.
She will need to deliver more than the 6.64m she has done this year and probably jump more than her 6.79m lifetime best achieved early last year to guarantee her a historic place at the podium.
With world leader at 7.07m, Malaika Mihambo and reigning champion, Tara Davis-Woodhall absent, the Nigerian will battle for the three places on offer at the podium with two of the medalists in the last edition, Monae’ Nichols of the USA (6.73m SB) and Spain’s Fátima Diame (6.73m SB) as well as the duo of Anthaya Charlton of the Bahamas (6.98 PB and SB) and Annik Kalin of Switzerland (6.90m PB and SB).
All eyes will be on Ochonogor to step into the big shoe the recuperating Ese Brume seems to have left behind as the last Nigerian long jumper to leap to the podium at the Championships.
