Ruth Usoro (born 8 October 1997) is a Nigerian athlete who competes at long jump and triple jump.[1]

Ruth Usoro
Ruth Usoro in 2022
Personal information
NationalityNigerian
Born (1997-10-08) 8 October 1997 (age 26)
Sport
SportTrack and Field
Event(s)long jump, triple jump
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Nigeria
African Games
Gold medal – first place 2023 Accra Triple jump

A student at Texas Tech University, on 26 February 2021 Usoro jumped 6.82m in the long jump to meet the qualifying standard for the delayed 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. It was the 2nd best jump in the world for the season at the time and the 3rd best on the Nigerian all-time list alongside Ese Brume.[2]

On 12 June 2021, she jumped 14.19m to win the triple jump at the 2021 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon. She also won the NCAA indoor title in 2021. Her personal best triple jump of 14.50 in Texas met the qualifying standard for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the triple jump and placed her in the top 10 in the world for the year.[3] Despite arriving in Tokyo to compete at the Olympic Games, Usoro was ruled out when her name was included on a list of ten athletes from her country ineligible to participate due to non-compliance with out-of-competition drug testing requirements in the run-up to the Games. In a statement The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) took responsibility for the failings and for not putting in place "appropriate measures to comply with rule 15 of the anti-doping rules of World Athletics".[4]

Usoro competed at the 2023 World Athletics Championships long jump in Budapest.[5]

In March 2024, she won gold in the triple jump at the 2023 African Games in Accra.[6]

References edit

  1. ^ "ATHLETE PROFILE Ruth USURO". World Athletics. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  2. ^ Popoola, Oluwadare (28 February 2021). "Ruth Usoro becomes first Nigerian athlete ever to qualify for Long Jump & Triple Jump at the Olympics". Making of Champions. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  3. ^ Williams, Don (13 June 2021). "Next objective: With second NCAA title in hand, Usoro aims for Olympics berth". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Nigerian officials 'bear responsibility' for ineligible athletes". 29 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Women's Long Jump Results: World Athletics Championships 2023". Watch Athletics. 21 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  6. ^ Eludini, Tunde (19 March 2024). "African Games: Nigeria's mixed-relay team sets new record". Premium Times. Retrieved 2 March 2024.

External links edit