National champion Prestina Ochonogor can now compete in the women's long jump at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Organisers changed their earlier decision that made her ineligible, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
An official from the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) confirmed this news to our reporter on Tuesday. This ended days of worry about whether the 19-year-old could take part in the event.
On Sunday, the Games’ Technical Delegate Chris Cohen sent a letter to Team Nigeria. The letter said Ochonogor could not be put on the final entry list because she was not part of Nigeria’s initial submission.
Nigeria wanted to include both Ochonogor and Ruth Usoro after multiple Commonwealth medallist Ese Brume pulled out. But at first, the request was denied.
On Tuesday, the AFN official announced that the issue was sorted out. Now, Ochonogor is eligible to compete in the women’s long jump final set for Saturday.
Ochonogor earned her spot on Team Nigeria by winning the women’s long jump at the National Athletics Trials in June. She jumped 6.57m at the Yabatech Sports Complex in Yaba, Lagos. This was without the national record holder Brume.
The jumper based in the United States beat a strong field to claim the national title. This win helped her case for selection to the Commonwealth Games.
The women's long jump in Glasgow will be a direct final. The official start list is expected to be released soon.
Ochonogor’s eligibility is a big boost for Team Nigeria’s athletics team. They are aiming for several medals in Glasgow, with officials expecting a strong performance in track and field events.
Brume, who is not competing, is the reigning champion. She won the event in Birmingham 2022 and Glasgow 2014. In 2022, she set a Games record of 7.00m to take home the gold medal.
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