Agencies
Paris
The international athletics federation (IAAF) on Tuesday announced a first ever world ranking system for competitors.
The IAAF said in a statement the system is "designed to provide a more effective way of identifying the top athletes in each discipline by rewarding consistency and competition among the world’s best.”
It explained that athletes’ "rankings will be based upon the points they score, determined by their performance and place, and the importance of the competition.”
IAAF president Sebastian Coe said it would also make the sport easier to follow.
"For the first time in the sport’s history, athletes, media and fans will have a clear understanding of the hierarchy of competitions from national through to area and up to global events, allowing them to follow a logical season-long path to the pinnacle of athletics’ top two competitions,” Coe said.
The IAAF said the world rankings will not be used for qualification for the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019, but today’s launch will enable athletes, member federations and key stakeholders to see during the 2019 season how the world rankings system works in practice.
"The IAAF world rankings will drive and shape the global competition system including entry into future major championships and enable everyone in and interested in our sport to know who is No.1 in the world,” he said.
Following a 10-month period of consultation with stakeholders from across the athletics family, the final rankings system balances the wide-ranging feedback and competing needs of those within the sport.
The world rankings will also bring clarity to the competition structure from national through to global events, incentivising the top athletes to support the best competitions.
Paris
The international athletics federation (IAAF) on Tuesday announced a first ever world ranking system for competitors.
The IAAF said in a statement the system is "designed to provide a more effective way of identifying the top athletes in each discipline by rewarding consistency and competition among the world’s best.”
It explained that athletes’ "rankings will be based upon the points they score, determined by their performance and place, and the importance of the competition.”
IAAF president Sebastian Coe said it would also make the sport easier to follow.
"For the first time in the sport’s history, athletes, media and fans will have a clear understanding of the hierarchy of competitions from national through to area and up to global events, allowing them to follow a logical season-long path to the pinnacle of athletics’ top two competitions,” Coe said.
The IAAF said the world rankings will not be used for qualification for the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019, but today’s launch will enable athletes, member federations and key stakeholders to see during the 2019 season how the world rankings system works in practice.
"The IAAF world rankings will drive and shape the global competition system including entry into future major championships and enable everyone in and interested in our sport to know who is No.1 in the world,” he said.
Following a 10-month period of consultation with stakeholders from across the athletics family, the final rankings system balances the wide-ranging feedback and competing needs of those within the sport.
The world rankings will also bring clarity to the competition structure from national through to global events, incentivising the top athletes to support the best competitions.