Ajayi is Lone Nigerian in Africa’s Top 10 Sprint Rankings
Kanyinsola Ajayi, a world championships 100m finalist, has emerged as the lone Nigerian in the top 10 of the African 100m rankings for 2025, according to the latest update released by World Athletics.
Ajayi is ranked fourth on the continent with a score of 1331, trailing South Africa’s Akani Simbine, who leads with 1416 points, Gift Leotlela on 1337, and African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala on 1334.
The rankings highlight South Africa’s growing dominance in the sprint event once ruled by Nigeria, with four of their athletes making the top 10.
World University Games double sprint champion Bayanda Walaza is sixth with 1308 points, while Benjamin Richardson sits ninth on 1267.
Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme is fifth with 1317, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo seventh with 1294, Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu eighth with 1275 after clocking Africa’s fastest time of the year at 12.84, and Senegal’s Mamadou Fall Sarr completes the list in tenth with 1257.
Nigeria’s Israel Okon narrowly missed out on the top 10, ranked 12th with 1249 points, while Udodi Onwuzurike is 17th and Favour Ashe 20th. Onwuzurike did, however, break into the top 10 in the 200m, ranked eighth.
In the 400m, Chidi Okezie and Samuel Ogazi are seventh and eighth respectively, though the event is dominated by Botswana’s Baya Ndori and world champion Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, who occupy the top two positions.
Elsewhere, Nathaniel Ezekiel tops the 400m hurdles, Charles Godfred is second in the long jump, and Chukwuebuka Enekwechi continues to lead the continent in the shot put.
