World governing physique president says innovation stays massive a part of his technique as newest council assembly additionally approves 4x100m combined relay and new race strolling distances
World Athletics president Seb Coe says the governing physique will proceed to discover alternatives to innovate in 2025 following a profitable Olympic yr, though he warns: “Change is difficult however we all know do it.”
Current months have seen a bunch of main occasions, world information and the Paris Olympics, however work is already underway to stage a World Athletics Final Championships in 2026 in Budapest and different concepts embrace a doable world championships for treadmill operating.
“It has been a implausible yr for our sport with some jaw-dropping performances, robust fan development and engagement, distinctive broadcast and media protection, and, in fact, the Netflix collection which thrust athletics into the centre of mainstream leisure,” stated Coe, talking on the shut of the 236th World Athletics Council Assembly in Monaco.
“We hit the No.1 Olympic sport spot once more, with the largest broadcast attain of any Olympic sport.”
He added: “I consider our sport is stronger than it has ever been, and we have to capitalise on this. In the beginning of this yr, the primary yr of our new four-year strategic plan Pioneering Change, we added a fifth pillar: innovation. We made it a key precedence in 2024 and we’ve got had some vital success, however extra must be achieved with a way of urgency. We have to sustain the momentum.
“Change is difficult, however we all know do it. By working in shut collaboration with our athletes and stakeholders, and solely implementing the preferred and completely examined new ideas, we’ve got a unprecedented alternative, proper now, to make a powerful and rising sport stronger and much more widespread.”
Combined relay motion (Getty)
Selections made on the newest council assembly embrace the combined 4x100m being added to the programme for the World Athletics Relays Guangzhou on Might 10-11 subsequent yr.
There are new official distances for race walks, too, with half-marathon and the marathon changing 20km and 35km. “It makes it extra relatable for most individuals to know,” says Coe, who added the adjustments come into impact from January 1 in 2026.
(Getty)
Linked to this, race walks on the World Below-20 Championships will shift from 10,000m to 5000m.
The World Cross Nation Championships may even transfer from ‘even years’ to ‘odd years’ after the 2026 occasion in Tallahassee.
World Cross U20 begin (Getty)
Coe was additionally happy to announce that the council had taken eight international locations from the competitors manipulation watch listing. They embrace: Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkey and Uzbekistan.
Lastly, World Athletics says it needs to increase safeguarding measures within the sport with campaigning towards gender-based violence as a precedence.
Coe stated: “I’m significantly inspired by our athletes’ dedication to handle the topic of gender-based violence as a precedence and the discussions on the position that World Athletics can play to handle it.”
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