Glasgow 2026: ‘God carried me,’ says Ruth Usoro after Commonwealth Games silver

Ruth Usoro attributed her Commonwealth Games silver medal to divine intervention, overcoming illness and a challenging season to reach the podium. The Nigerian long jumper secured silver with a season's best leap of 6.87 meters, revealing she had been unwell in the days leading up to the event.

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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.

"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," Usoro told PREMIUM TIMES in Glasgow.

Her opening jump of 6.87m initially placed her in the lead, but England's Jazmin Sawyers ultimately claimed gold with 6.93m. Usoro's silver medal is her first major international outdoor medal and represents a remarkable turnaround. She was not originally listed in Nigeria's squad but received a late call-up after star long jumper Ese Brume became unavailable.

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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.

"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," Usoro reflected on the unexpected opportunity. She acknowledged the 2026 season had been difficult, making the silver medal even more special. Her focus before the competition was to honor God and make her supporters proud.

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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.

Usoro's silver medal is a significant improvement from her sixth-place finish at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. She also praised the National Sports Commission for improvements in athlete welfare, noting a better mental space for competitors at these Games. "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," she said.

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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.