Ruth Usoro has credited her Commonwealth Games silver medal to God's help after facing illness and a tough season to reach the podium in Glasgow.
The Nigerian long jumper won silver with her best jump this season of 6.87 metres. After the competition, she shared that she had not been feeling well in the days before the event.
"I haven’t really been feeling so well for some days now. I just have a cough for some reason, and I was wondering how I was going to give my best here. But honestly, the summary of it is that God carried me. I don’t even know how. But here we are," she told PREMIUM TIMES in Glasgow.
Usoro’s first jump of 6.87 metres put her in the lead after the first round. England’s Jazmin Sawyers eventually took gold with 6.93 metres. Usoro held on for silver, marking her first major international outdoor medal.
This result showed a great comeback for the athlete, who was not initially on Nigeria’s team for the Glasgow Games. She got a late call-up after long jump star Ese Brume could not compete.
Thinking about this unexpected chance, Usoro said everything fell into place in a way she never expected.
"I wasn’t supposed to be here, and then I found myself at the Commonwealth Games. Everything has just been glory to glory from there. Then a season’s best yesterday, then another season’s best today. It’s just been amazing."
A tough season
Usoro said that the 2026 season was not easy, making the silver medal even more meaningful.
She explained that her focus before the contest was to honor God and make her supporters proud.
"Going out there, I was just praying, ‘God help me. I just want to bring glory to your name. I just want to bring the medal and make my family, my friends, my coach and my team proud.’ I’m glad this happened. I’m just so thankful to God."
The silver medal was a big improvement from her sixth-place finish at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and added to Nigeria’s strong athletics performance in Glasgow.
What’s next?
Even with her success at the Games, Usoro said she has not decided what comes next.
"This season has been a bit rocky. Let’s just see what else God has in store for me."
She also praised the National Sports Commission (NSC) for better athlete support, saying the current conditions have helped competitors do better.
"Things have actually been getting better so far. No doubt we still have a long way to go, like every other country. But compared to how it used to be before, there have been lots of improvements.
"I think at these Games, most of us were in the best mental space that we could be compared to before. I know things can still be better, but I appreciate what they are doing."
Usoro’s silver is one of several medals won by Team Nigeria’s athletics team in Glasgow, where Nigeria remains Africa’s top nation on the Commonwealth Games medals table.
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