Itshekiri, Onwuzurike, Nwachukwu, Nathaniel, Ibadin top Nigeria 100m, 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles and 800m rankings

Reigning Nigeria 100m champion, Ushoritse Itshekiri and NCAA 200m champion, Udodi Onwuzurike will end 2023 as the top ranked Nigerian sprinters following the
final update of World Athletics’ world rankings for the outgoing year.

Itshekiri, who won his third (and second 100m) Nigeria title last July at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin City may have ranked the 42nd best in the
world but among his Nigerian competitors, the 25 year is number one.

With a ranking score of 1242, Itshekiri is just two points ahead of second placed Godson Oghenebrume who ran 9.90 in the 100m event to place second in the
NCAA outdoor championships and 18 above Seye Ogunlewe who ranked the third best with a ranking score of 1224.

In the 200m, Onwuzurike is the undisputed best. Ranked 19th best in the world, the 20 year old tops the Nigerian ranking with a massive 1276 ranking score,
77 more than second placed Alaba Olukunle Akintola and a staggering 171 points ahead of third placed Musibau Adebisi.

Onwuzurike ran inside 20.00 seconds thrice in the outgoing year, setting a lifetime best of 19.76 seconds before running 19.84 seconds to win the NCAA 200m
title.

In the men’s 400m, Dubem Nwachukwu is the highest ranked Nigerian (64th in the world) albeit a certain Emmanuel Bamidele is ranked higher (24th) but his allegiance to Nigeria is still in doubt.

With a ranking score of 1193, Edose Ibadin is the highest ranked Nigerian and 59th ranked in the world in the 800m while Ezekiel Nathaniel is number one ranked Nigerian in the 400m hurdles and number 29th in the world.

Chukwuebuka Cornnell Enekwechi remains the undisputed king of Shot Put in Nigeria and Africa as he is the top ranked on the continent and 10th in the world.