(through the 2025 season)
How hard is it to make the T&FN World Rankings?
How hard is it to make the T&FN World Rankings? In crafting our annual compilations we have long noted that just running fast or jumping/throwing high/far isn’t enough. For graphic proof check out the following list of high-powered athletes.
These are the performers with the highest mark on the all-time list who were never quite good enough to make the World Rankings in that event (although they may have in another event). Specifically: that means not good enough to have ranked in any year, not just the year in which they recorded this mark.
The imposing list (if the best mark was made at altitude, then the non-altitude best is also given):
| MEN | |||
| 100 | 9.82 | Bryan Levell (Jamaica) ’25 | |
| 200 | 19.63 | Reynier Mena (Cuba) ’22 | |
| 400 | 43.93 | Rusheen McDonald (Jamaica) ’15 | |
| 800 | 1:42.27 | Cooper Lutkenhaus (US) ’25 | |
| 1500 | 3:28.81 | Mo Farah (Great Britain) ’13 | |
| Mile | 3:47.01i | Yomif Kejelcha (Ethiopia) ’19 | |
| Steeple | 8:05.69 | Fernando Carro (Spain) ’19 | |
| 5000 | 12:44.27 | Andreas Almgren (Sweden) ’25 | |
| 10,000 | 26:42.65 | Gemechu Dida (Ethiopia) ’24 | |
| 110 Hurdles | 12.99 | Just Kwaou-Mathey (France) ’25 | |
| 400 Hurdles | 47.85 | Sean Burrell (US) ’21 | |
| Marathon | 2:02:55 | Timothy Kiplagat (Kenya) ’24 | |
| 20K Walk | 1:17:33 | Lihong Cui (China) ’25 | |
| 35K Walk | 2:25:08 | Andrés Olivas (Mexico) ’25 | |
| MEN’S FIELD | |||
| High Jump | 2.38 | 7-9¾i | Wolf-Hendrik Beyer (Germany) ’94 | |
| Pole Vault | 5.92 | 19-5 | Robin Emig (France) ’25 | |
| Austin Miller (US) ’25 | |||
| Long Jump | 8.49 | 27-10¼ | Melvin Lister (US) ’00 | |
| Triple Jump | 17.78 | 58-4 | Melvin Lister (US) ’04 | |
| Shot | 22.22 | 72-10¾ | Bob Bertemes (Luxembourg) ’19 | |
| Discus | 70.63 | 231-8 | Marcus Gustaveson (US) ’25 | |
| Hammer | 82.40 | 270-4 | Plamen Minev (Bulgaria) ’91 | |
| Javelin | 90.20 | 295-11 | Max Dehning (Germany) ’24 | |
| Dec | 8606 | Makenson Gletty (France) ’24 | |
| WOMEN | |||
| 100 | 10.84 | Kayla White (US) ’25 | |
| 200 | 21.98 | JaMeesia Ford (US) ’25 | |
| 400 | 49.14 | Gabby Thomas (US) ’25 | |
| 800 | 1:56.21 | Zamira Zaytseva (Soviet Union) ’83 | |
| 1500 | 3:55.90 | Emily Mackay (US) ’24 | |
| Mile | 4:16.26 | Sarah Healy (Ireland) ’25 | |
| Steeple | 9:06.07 | Lomi Muleta (Ethiopia) ’24 | |
| 5000 | 14:22.76 | Aynadis Mebratu (Ethiopia) ’24 | |
| 10,000 | 29:59.15 | Lemlem Hailu (Ethiopia) ’23 | |
| 100 Hurdles | 12.37 | Pia Skrzyszowska (Poland) ’24 | |
| 400 Hurdles | 53.46 | Rachel Glenn (US) ’24 | |
| Marathon | 2:16:49 | Letesenbet Gidey (Ethiopia) ’22 | |
| 20K Walk | 1:26:36 | Tatyana Kalmykova (Russia) ’08 | |
| 35K Walk | 2:40:49 | Li Ma (China) ’25 | |
| WOMEN’S FIELD | |||
| High Jump | 2.02 | 6-7½ | Nafi Thiam (Belgium) ’19 | |
| Pole Vault | 4.83 | 15-10 | Michaela Meijer (Sweden) ’20 | |
| Long Jump | 7.20 | 23-7½ | Irena Ozhenko (Soviet Union) ’86 | |
| Triple Jump | 14.88 | 48-10i(A) | Charisma Taylor (Bahamas) ’23 | |
| 14.83 | 48-8i | Yelena Lebedenko (Russia) ’01 | ||
| Shot | 21.05 | 69-¾ | Zdenka Šilhavá (Czechoslovakia) ’83 | |
| Discus | 69.39 | 227-8 | Jayden Ulrich (US) ’25 | |
| Hammer | 78.80 | 258-6 | Rachel Richeson (US) ’25 | |
| Javelin | 66.53 | 218-3 | Marcelina Witek-Konofał (Poland) ’18 | |
| Heptathlon | 6551 | Yelena Martsenyuk (Soviet Union) ’88 | |
