Despite the country’s failure to win any medal at the 2024 Paris summer Olympics, Nigeria athletes move up in the latest ranking released by World Athletics, WA, Sports247 reports.
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There was a significant flight up by Favour Ofili, who finished sixth in the women’s 200m as the sprinter jumped 23 places up, she now ranked 8th against her 31st position in the 200 meter before the summer Olympics in Paris.
She is the highest ranked African in the 200 meter and landed on 138th position in all events ranking.
Samuel Ogazi, the Nigerian quarter miler is another Athlete with significant rise as he moved from number 23rd to number 12th position in the 400 meter event as released by the WA.
Ogazi reached the final in the 400 meter at the Paris Olympics to become the first Nigerian to reach the final in 36 years after Innocent Egbunike reached the final at the Seoul Olympics.
The 18 year old Ogazi is now ranked third in Africa in the event.
Another teenager, 19-year-old Kanyinsola Ajayi Is now ranked 23rd in the event , two places better than his previous position of 25th position before Paris 2024 Olympics. The ranking places him in the 7th position in the African ranking.
He is the highest ranked Nigerian in the event as Utsheoritse Itsekiri and Favour Ashe are ranked 36th and 42nd, respectively .
In the field events, there are improvements as well.
Shot Putter Enekwechi Chukwuebuka is 7th in the world after reaching the final at the Olympics, a step better than his 8th position before the Paris game.
Long jumpers Ruth Usoro and Prestina Ochonogor who made the finals at the Paris 2024 Olympics also got compensated for their efforts with movements up the ladder on the ranking table of the event.
Ruth Usoro is now 22nd In the event , moving from 26th position while jumping five places up from number 30th to 25th in the event.
Nigeria failed to win any medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, after executing the games with 9 billion naira which many Nigerians are raising eyebrows demanding how the money was spent with no medal to show for it.
