Tobi Amusan, Nathaniel, Enekwechi Shine As Nigeria Dominates Global Athletics Rankings For 2025

Nigeria has begun 2026 on a high note in the world of athletics, with three of its stars featuring prominently in the 2025 World Athletics rankings.

World record holder Tobi Amusan led the charge, securing a top-three spot in her event, while Ezekiel Nathaniel and Chukwuebuka Enekwechi also earned recognition among the global elite.

Amusan, celebrated as the queen of the hurdles, finished the year as the third-best 100m hurdler worldwide. She amassed 1,430 ranking points, trailing only Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji and America’s Grace Stark.

The 28-year-old, who claimed silver at the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships, is the only Nigerian woman to rank in the top five of her discipline and sits 28th in the overall women’s rankings for the year.

Nathaniel, 22, emerged as one of the most exciting talents on the track, ending the season as the fifth-ranked 400m hurdler globally and 15th in the men’s overall standings.

The youngster made history by becoming the first Nigerian to run the 400m hurdles in under 48 seconds, achieving the feat nine times, and recording a national record of 47.11 seconds, just one-hundredth of a second shy of Zambia’s Samuel Matete’s African record. He also made a memorable Diamond League debut, reaching the final and claiming third place.

In the field events, shot putter Chukwuebuka Enekwechi continued to impress. He finished the year ranked seventh in his discipline following a fifth-place finish in Tokyo, securing the 100th spot in the overall men’s rankings.

This means that Amusan, Nathaniel, and Enekwechi are the only Nigerian athletes to close the 2025 season in the top ten of their respective disciplines.