Tobi Amusan has climbed to third place in the latest World Athletics 100m hurdles rankings, emerging as Nigeria’s highest-ranked athlete after her silver medal finish at the World Championships in Tokyo.

The 28-year-old world record holder jumped from ninth to third with 1,430 points, sitting just behind the United States’ Grace Stark, who tops the standings, and newly crowned world champion Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland in second.

Amusan also made significant progress in the overall women’s rankings, surging 40 spots from 68th to 28th. She is currently the only Nigerian woman in the global top 100 following Favour Ofili’s switch of allegiance to Turkey and absence from the championships.

Another big mover was Ezekiel Nathaniel. The 22-year-old 400m hurdler, who broke the Nigerian record five times in 2025, jumped from 59th to 15th in the overall rankings. He remains fifth in his event, behind new world champion Rai Benjamin, world record holder Karsten Warholm, Alison dos Santos of Brazil, and Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba. The only shift in that top five saw Benjamin move above Warholm after the Norwegian missed the podium in Tokyo.

Shot putter Chukwuebuka Enekwechi also forced his way into the global top 100, climbing to 99th overall after his fifth-place finish at the Worlds earned him 250 ranking points. He now sits seventh in the men’s shot put rankings following a historic season in which he became the first African to throw beyond 22m, reaching 22.10m at the Prefontaine Classic in May. He managed 21.52m in the Tokyo final.

Among Nigeria’s sprinters, Kanyinsola Ajayi made headlines with his meteoric rise. After finishing sixth in the men’s 100m final, the Auburn University athlete moved from 29th to 13th in the event rankings and jumped a staggering 246 places overall, climbing from 417th to 171st.

His compatriot and fellow Auburn sprinter, Isreal Okon, rose to 38th in the 100m after a promising campaign that ended in the semi-finals. He now sits 550th overall. Youngster Udodi Onwuzurike also improved his 200m ranking, moving from 30th to 25th, while holding 72nd in the 100m and 463rd globally.

Elsewhere, Chidi Okezie (32nd in the 400m) and Samuel Ogazi (38th) saw modest rises, though both exited early in Tokyo. Long jumper Charles Godfred is ranked 38th in his event and 825th overall.

In the women’s category, Ese Brume, once the world’s No. 2 in long jump, has dropped to 28th after an early exit in Tokyo. Rising star Prestina Ochonogor is ranked 42nd. Discus duo Chioma Onyekwere-Lyons and Obiageri Amaechi sit 25th and 30th respectively, while hammer thrower Sade Olatoye is 32nd. Sprinter Rosemary Chukwuma is now 57th in the 100m and 750th overall.

At the summit of the global rankings, Sweden’s Armand Duplantis continues to dominate with 1,638 points after another flawless season in the pole vault. He leads Rai Benjamin by 119 points and American 200m world champion Noah Lyles by 123.

On the women’s side, Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet retains top spot following her double gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m. U.S. sprinter Melissa Jefferson-Wooden has surged to second after her 100m and 200m triumphs, overtaking Faith Kipyegon, who dropped to third despite holding onto her 1,500m crown.