World Ranking: Ogazi, Onojuvwevwo, Joseph break into top 100 in 400m
The quartermile trio of Samuel Ogazi, Ella Onojuvwevwo and Elo Joseph have moved several steps up to be counted among the top 100 400m runners in the world following the update on the World Athletics World Ranking.
Ogazi, the 2024 NCAA outdoor championship silver medalist is one of the Nigerian athletes that moved into the top 100m in the full lap race in 2024 after ending 2023 as the 164th best.
The 18 year old has been very impressive so far this year, breaking 45 seconds for the first time and running inside 44.60 thrice this season with each an improvement on his previous performance (44.58, 44.53 and 44.52).
The reigning African U18 200m and 400m champion is now the second fastest Nigerian ever over the distance behind Innocent Egbunike (44.17) and his 44.52 is the seventh fastest time ever run by a Nigerian after Egbunike who ran 44.50 in 1986 and 44.17, 44.23, 44.26, 44.45 and 44.47 in 1987.
Ogazi is now ranked the 77th best in the world, behind reigning African Games champion, Chidi Okezie (69th) who also broke into the top 100 this year.
For the Onojuvwevwo, ranked 175th as at the end of December last year is now ranked among the 100 best (87th) in the event and second highest ranked Nigerian behind African Games silver Elo Joseph who is ranked 84th.
Onojuvwevwo made it to the final of the 400m at the 2024 NCAA outdoor championship after breaking 51 seconds four times so far this year and ran another sub-51 seconds in the final to place sixth.
Joseph on her part rose from her 279th ranking just six months ago to become the highest ranked Nigerian in the event after running sub-52 seconds thrice on her way to winning the silver medal at the African Games behind Kenya’s Mary Moaraa. She ran her fourth sub-52 seconds to win the African Zone 2 championship in Accra, Ghana early this month.
