Usoro Wins Long Jump Silver for Nigeria in Glasgow

Nigerian long jumper Ruth Usoro produced a season's best performance to win the silver medal in the women's long jump at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, adding another medal to Team Nigeria's impressive athletics campaign. Usoro recorded a leap of 6.87m, her best mark of the season, to finish second behind England's Jazmin Sawyers, who successfully defended her Commonwealth title.

The 27-year-old entered the competition as one of the favourites and delivered a consistent series of jumps before producing her best effort. Although her 6.87m leap briefly placed her in contention for gold, Sawyers responded with a championship-winning jump to retain the title, leaving Usoro to settle for silver.

Usoro's medal continued Nigeria's strong showing in athletics at the Glasgow Games, following Samuel Ogazi's historic men's 400m gold medal and Ella Onojuvwevwo's bronze in the women's 400m. Her performance also improved on her fourth-place finish at the previous Commonwealth Games, where she narrowly missed the podium by just one centimetre.

The former Texas Tech standout has enjoyed a remarkable rise in international athletics, having represented Nigeria at the Olympic Games, World Championships and African Championships. Her latest achievement further cements her status as one of Africa's leading long jumpers and boosts Nigeria's medal tally in Glasgow.

Usoro expressed delight with her performance, saying the silver medal reflected months of hard work and determination. She added that she remains focused on improving her performances and hopes to build on the Commonwealth success at future global competitions.