Koki Ikeda was named the first 20-km race walk world No. 1 when the International Association of Athletics Federations launched its new official rankings system on Tuesday.
The 20-year-old Ikeda won his spot atop the list after placing in the top-5 in three races since February 2018. He won gold at May's World Race Walking Team Championships in China and finished second and fourth in two domestic competitions.
The rankings, which will be updated weekly, are determined by the points each athlete earns based on their performances, with the standard of each competition taken into consideration and given weight.