The Impact of the New WT Ranking System on Nigerian Athletes: What You Need to Know

World Taekwondo (WT) has recently introduced a new ranking system, a significant step that levels the playing field for all athletes. This change affects the rankings and the qualification process for prestigious events like the Olympic Games, the WT Grand Prix, and other major WT-ranked events, offering a fairer chance for African and Nigerian athletes.

Previously, the ranking system used cumulative points that decreased by 25% yearly. This meant that it took four years for the points earned in a single year to be reduced to zero. However, with the new system, all ranking points are reset to zero every two years, starting on June 1st, 2024, and ending on June 1st, 2026.

Under the new system, ranking points are reset to zero for two years, beginning on June 1st, 2024, and ending on June 1st, 2026, making a very noticeable difference. It does not matter how many points you had before the big reset. Everyone starts on an even playing field.

All points accrued between June 1, 2024, and June 1, 2026, will be reset to zero on June 1, 2026. The points earned between June 1, 2026, and June 1, 2028, are then reset on June 1, 2028, as well as the qualification cycle for the 2028 Olympics, which will take place in Los Angeles, USA.

This new arrangement, which considers that each athlete can only earn 40 points from the G1 and G2 events in a calendar year, will help increase competition attendance in specific ways and provide every athlete, regardless of location or social class, with a reasonably equal opportunity. The WT deliberately ensures that a specific number of G2 events occur on each continent.

Athletes from less empowered nations can strategically choose which events to prioritize to earn points while keeping an eye on the G4 events held on their continents and the G12 World Championships, which take place every two years and are therefore accessible in each cycle before the points are cleared to 0 for all competitors once more.

This modification to the ranking system is revolutionary for many African and Nigerian athletes who might not have had the financial means to compete at the top level on a regular basis because it allows them to stay competitive with their counterparts in other regions. The previous ranking system made some gaps impossible to close because points from four years ago could still be counted.

The World Taekwondo Grand Prix series has undergone organizational changes that are also important to mention. There will not be a grand prix in 2025, as opposed to the previous practice of having three grand prix events and one grand prix final. Instead, there will be three grand prix challenges in the 2025 season (September, October, and November), each of which will have four qualifying spots for the grand prix events that will take place in 2026.