Ruth Usoro shatters Nigeria, NCAA triple jump indoor record
Ruth Usoro Saturday got her indoor season to a strong start and justified why she is among the 10 athletes on the 2022 Women’s Preseason Watch List for The Bowerman when she hopped, stepped and jumped to a new 14.76m Nigeria and NCAA triple jump indoor record at the Corky Classic in Lubbock, Texas.
The 24 year also won the long jump with 6.48m to complete the double at the meeting but it was her incredible effort in the triple jump that produced the field event highlight of the meeting.
Her 14.76m mark is now number one in the indoor all-time collegiate list in the triple jump, betterring the 14.53m mark set by Keturah Orji in January 2018.
Usoro who hails from Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria and swept the indoor and outdoor NCAA titles to highlight an undefeated 2021 collegiate campaign in the triple jump will be the athlete to beat once again this season.
She is now the world leader in the event and the only one so far to have hit the 14m mark and over.
She is also the top ranked African in the event so far this indoor season and has moved to number three in the African all-time list behind Yamilé Aldama of Sudn (14.90) and Cameroun’s Francoise Mbango Etone (14.88m).
Outdoors Usoro holds the Nigerian record at 14.50m and she is number two in the all-time collegiate list behind Orji.
In the African all-time list she is ranked number five behind Mbango Etone (15.39), Aldama (15.20), Kéne Ndoye of Senegal (15.00) and Algeria’s former World junior champion Baya Rahouli (14.98).
