By Latiifah Amusan
The recent suspension of Nigerian hurdler Tobi Amusan by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has sent shockwaves through the world of athletics, leading to a dramatic shift in her rankings and impacting her performance as the former world 100m hurdles champion.
The latest World Athletics (WA) rankings reveal a significant drop for Amusan, who was once a force to be reckoned with.
Prior to the suspension, she held the 10th position in the global rankings, just ahead of the World Championship in Budapest.
However, in a swift decline, Amusan now finds herself at the 24th spot.
This decline was exacerbated by her loss of the number one spot in the women’s hurdles event to Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn.
On a brighter note, Olympic bronze medalist Ese Brume has managed to defy the odds.
She has climbed the ranks in the Women’s long jump event, soaring from a lowly 223rd position before the Budapest championship to an impressive 5th place with a score of 1326.
In the women’s 100m, Rosemary Chukwuma now stands as the highest-ranked Nigerian, securing the 58th spot, with Tima Godbless close behind at 99th.
Meanwhile, in the 200m event, Favour Ofili has made significant strides, improving from her previous 35th spot to 32nd in the global rankings.
Turning to the men’s category, reigning Nigerian men’s 100m champion Ushoritse Ishekiri has risen to prominence, taking the top spot in the event with a ranking of 41st.
He is closely followed by Godson Oghenebrume (44th), Seye Ogunlewe (42nd), Favour Ashe (54th), and Udodi Onwuzurike (60th).
