CAA Champs 2026: Usoro targets long jump medal, says it’s an honour to serve Nigeria
By Uzor Odigbo
Emerging star Ruth Usoro is targeting a medal and hopefully making a lasting impact in the women’s long jump at the CAA Senior Championships ongoing in Accra, Ghana.
She is back to the same arena where she dominated the triple jump in the 2023 African Games with a 13.80m effort.
She said her concentration now is in the long jump and would like to take the shine off Burkina Faso women poised to dominate the event in the absence of African record holder Ese Brume.
“First of all I’m excited to return back to Accra and I give God the glory for being here to represent Nigeria…it is always an honour. Like every other athlete competing, my aim is to win the title. I’m concentrating on the long jump now and so I want to make an impact,” said Usoro.
Usoro, Brume, Prestina Ochonogho in 2024 made history as the first three Nigerian women to be in the final of the Olympics at the same time. But Brume and Ochonogho are not in Accra, leaving the job of winning the medals to Usoro and Favour Olise.
“Certainly I miss Brume, I spoke to her but I am up to the task of competing with Burkina Faso’s Marta Kaola and others who might be here.”
Indeed Usoro has a strong headwind to face when the competition begins for her with the qualification on Wednesday and the final on Thursday.
Kaola the Burkinabe national record holder with 9.94m personal best and season’s best of 6.77m achieved in April is the woman to beat.
She played second fiddle to Brume in the 2023 African Games and 2024 African Championships.
Apart from her, there is Zongo Awa and Nimata Nikiema who are also top contenders for the podium finish.
