Ruth Usoro’s long-awaited return headlines a trio of Nigerian talent at the Murphey Classic

It’s been almost 12 months since Ruth Usoro, Nigeria’s reigning triple jump record holder, last graced an international competition.

But this weekend in Memphis, the 28-year-old returns—not for nostalgia, but with a mission.

At the prestigious Ed Murphey Classic, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver event, Usoro will make her 2025 debut, looking to secure qualification for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.

Usoro, who last competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, finished 10th in the long jump with a best of 6.58m—a performance that marked the end of her season.

Since then, she’s kept a low profile, focusing on recovery and preparation. But with the World Championships qualification window closing on August 24, and the entry standard set at 6.86m, the time for quiet work is over.

This marks Usoro’s third straight appearance at the Ed Murphey Classic. In 2023, she placed third with 6.42m.

A year later, she clinched the title with a 6.70m jump—just shy of the standard she now needs to hit to punch her ticket to Tokyo.

Historically consistent, Usoro has recorded 6.87m season’s bests in both 2023 and 2024. Replicating that form would not only secure her spot—it could put her among the contenders once the Championships arrive.

Now, with the Tokyo entry window closing on August 24, Usoro must deliver another big leap—under the glare of top-tier competition.

The field includes America’s Quanesha Burks, a multi-time World Championship finalist; Sydney Willits, the reigning NCAA indoor champion; Jasmine Akins, who’s soared to 6.65m this season; and Tyra Gittens of Trinidad and Tobago, a proven all-rounder with NCAA titles in the heptathlon and high jump.

But Usoro isn’t the only Nigerian lighting up the Memphis spotlight.

Favour Ofili, another stalwart of Nigeria’s sprint corps, returns for her third straight appearance at the meet.

She’ll line up in the 200m, her first since dropping a blazing 22.27s season’s best in May at the Grand Slam Track meet in Miami. With Tokyo on the horizon, every race now sharpens her edge.

Then there’s Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, the African powerhouse in the shot put, who shattered expectations and records alike with a monumental 22.10m African record earlier this season.

Memphis marks his debut at the Ed Murphey Classic, and he arrives not just as a contender—but as a favorite, with his eyes squarely on global podiums.