Tobi Amusan Climbs to Third in World Hurdles Rankings
Nigeria’s sprint queen Tobi Amusan has added another milestone to her glittering career, rising to third place in the latest World Athletics women’s 100m hurdles rankings.
The 28-year-old’s silver medal at the World Championships in Tokyo sparked her climb from ninth, making her the country’s highest-ranked athlete at the moment. Already the world record holder in the event, Amusan now trails only the USA’s Grace Stark and Switzerland’s new world champion Ditaji Kambundji.
Her success wasn’t limited to hurdles. Amusan also jumped an astonishing 40 places in the global women’s rankings, soaring from 68th to 28th overall. That makes her the only Nigerian woman currently inside the world’s top 100, following Favour Ofili’s exit after switching allegiance to Turkey and missing the championships.
It was also a breakthrough week for other Nigerian athletes.
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Ezekiel Nathaniel, the 22-year-old 400m hurdler, continued his remarkable season by breaking the national record five times in 2025. His consistency pushed him from 59th to 15th overall, while he holds steady at fifth in his event, sitting just behind the likes of world champion Rai Benjamin and Norway’s Karsten Warholm.
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In the field events, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi cracked the world’s top 100 for the first time. His fifth-place finish in Tokyo and a record-breaking 22.10m throw earlier in the year at the Prefontaine Classic—making him the first African to cross the 22m mark—cemented his place among the elite. He is now seventh in the men’s shot put rankings.
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Sprinter Kanyinsola Ajayi made one of the biggest leaps of the season. After placing sixth in the men’s 100m final, he surged from 29th to 13th in the event rankings and jumped 246 places overall, moving from 417th to 171st globally. His teammate Isreal Okon also made strides, climbing to 38th in the 100m. Rising star Udodi Onwuzurike improved to 25th in the 200m and remains in the top 100 for the 100m as well.
Elsewhere, Chidi Okezie and Samuel Ogazi maintained strong positions in the men’s 400m, while Charles Godfred held 38th in the long jump. Among the women, Ese Brume slipped to 28th in the long jump after an early exit in Tokyo, while teenage prospect Prestina Ochonogor sits 42nd. In the throws, Chioma Onyekwere-Lyons and Obiageri Amaechi rank 25th and 30th in discus, while Sade Olatoye is 32nd in hammer. Sprinter Rosemary Chukwuma is currently 57th in the women’s 100m.
Globally, Armand Duplantis of Sweden remains the undisputed No. 1 in the men’s rankings, while Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet holds onto the top spot for women after her double gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m.
For Nigeria, though, the spotlight belongs to Tobi Amusan—a symbol of consistency, resilience, and the belief that Nigerian athletics can still shine on the world stage.
