Usoro grabs first African Games gold, aims for historic triple jump/long jump double

Ruth Usoro hopped, stepped and jumped to her first African Games gold and became third Nigerian after Rosa Collins (1995) and Grace Anigbata (2019) to win a triple jump gold at the Games. The 26 year old’s 13.80m effort was enough to fetch her the gold and equalled Collins’ altitude-aided winning mark 29 years ago.

Usoro will now turn her attention to the long jump event which begins on Wednesday. The 26 year old will now be seeking to become the first Nigerian woman to successfully complete a triple jump and long jump double in the history of the Games. Victory for her will also mean she will become the second woman in Games history to win a triple jump and long jump gold at the same edition of the Games after Cameroon’s Joelle Mbumi Nkouindjin in 2015.