Ruth Usoro delivered her best performance of the season to claim the silver medal in the women’s long jump at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on Saturday.
The Nigerian opened the competition with a leap of 6.87m (+2.7), a mark that kept her in medal contention throughout the event and ultimately secured second place on the podium.
Usoro briefly topped the standings after her opening jump but was unable to improve her distance, recording fouls on her next two attempts.
Despite that, none of the remaining competitors, except England’s Jazmin Sawyers, could surpass her mark.
Sawyers successfully defended her Commonwealth crown with a winning leap of 6.93m, while Australia’s Brooke Buschkuehl settled for bronze after registering 6.80m.
The silver medal represents a major step forward for Usoro, who finished sixth at the previous Commonwealth Games, underlining her continued rise among the continent’s leading field athletes.
A native of Akwa Ibom State who grew up in Lagos, Usoro established herself as one of the most accomplished athletes in NCAA history during her time at Texas Tech University, capturing several collegiate titles in both the long jump and triple jump.
She etched her name into Nigeria’s athletics history in 2021 by becoming the country’s first athlete, male or female, to qualify for both the long jump and triple jump at the Olympic Games.
The following year, she and Ese Brume became the first Nigerian pair to reach the women’s long jump final at the World Athletics Championships.
Usoro has also represented Nigeria at the World Championships, African Championships and the Olympic Games. At Paris 2024, she finished 10th in the long jump, while she is also the reigning All-African Games champion in the triple jump.
Her podium finish in Glasgow adds another significant medal to an already impressive career, with her season’s best effort proving enough to separate her from a strong field featuring the defending champion and experienced international contenders.
