By Ademola Adekusibe
September 26, 2025
Nigeria’s sprint sensation, Tobi Amusan, has climbed to third place in the latest World Athletics women’s 100m hurdles rankings, cementing her status as the country’s highest-ranked athlete on the global stage.
The 28-year-old hurdler achieved the feat following her silver medal finish at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, where she narrowly missed out on gold in one of the most competitive finals in recent history.
The new rankings place Amusan behind Grace Stark of the United States, who occupies the top spot, and Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland, the newly crowned world champion. Amusan’s strong showing in Tokyo also boosted her standing in the overall World Athletics women’s rankings, where she made a remarkable leap of 40 places, moving from 68th to 28th.
Amusan, who made history in 2022 by becoming the first Nigerian athlete to win a world title and setting a world record of 12.12 seconds, has remained a consistent force in global athletics. Despite facing setbacks, including injury spells and off-track controversies, her ability to bounce back at the highest level has kept her firmly among the world’s elite.
Her latest ranking not only reaffirms her position as Africa’s number one hurdler but also raises hopes ahead of upcoming competitions, particularly the 2025 Diamond League series and preparations for the Paris 2028 Olympics.
Analysts say Amusan’s return to the top three reflects her resilience and signals that she remains a major contender for future global titles.
For Nigeria, her achievement once again shines a spotlight on the country’s athletics program and the need for sustained support to nurture more world-class talents.
