Ruth Usoro has qualified for the long jump event of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Usoro hit the qualification mark after setting a world lead mark of 6.87m in the women’s long jump at the Jarvis Scott Open on Friday in the US.
She jumped 6.87m in her third attempt, beating the Olympic qualification standard of 6.82m and improving her personal best by 16cm.
The jump equalled Usoro’s personal best which she jumped January 27, 2023.
She also jumped 6.71m, 6.59m, 6.45m, and 6.81m in her other valid attempts, showing remarkable consistency and dominance.
She became the first Nigerian jumper ever to qualify for both long jump and triple jump at the Olympics, when she qualified in Tokyo 2020.
She however couldn’t compete at the Games after being part of the 10 Nigerian athletes disqualified from the Olympics over failure to meet the required three out of competition tests.
Usoro joins women’s 100m hurdles record holder Tobi Amusan, men’s 400m hurdler Ezekiel Nathaniel and men’s 800m runner Edose Ibadin as the only Nigerians who have automatically qualified for this year’s Olympics.