Ruth Usoro meets Olympics qualifying standard at Texas event

Ruth Usoro continued her impressive season when she leapt 6.82m to win the Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championship, which took place at the Sports Performance Center, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas.

Her performance met the 6.82m qualifying standard for the 2020 Olympics for the women’s long jump event.

The jump, which was Usoro’s personal best, was an NCCA lead and the sixth-farthest long jump mark in NCAA history.

It’s also the second-farthest this year and the meet and school’s records.

Tara Davis finished second, jumping 6.68m, while Monae Nichols placed third with a jump of 6.46m.

Reports say Usoro broke the national record in the women’s triple jump event at the Texas Tech Corky Classic in January.

The 23-year-old leapt a distance of 14.28m in her first attempt to set the new Nigerian record, erasing the 14.21m record set by Chinonye Ohadugha at the 2007 African Games in Algiers, Algeria.

NP/Confidence Okwuchi