5) Amaka Ogoegbunam:
What a meteoric rise this 400m Hurdler has had on our yearly ranking, shooting up from 11th last year to 5th. Ogoegbunam competed in her first Diamond League this year in Rome and has steadily improved from her 2014 outing.
There was no doubting who the best hurdler was at the National Championships as she stormed to victory to retain her title in a time of 55.78s. Although she didn’t qualify from her heat in Beijing, the season hasn’t been entirely low for her.
The African Championships Silver medallist had a perfect climax to her season, winning GOLD in Brazzaville to crown her efforts. Her celebration summed up her ecstasy as she raised both hands looking at the board while crossing the line in 55.56s, taking over from NR holder Ajoke Odumosu as the new Games’ champion.
