Running News Daily

Competition decisions on qualification for future championship events

The World Athletics Council has approved the following decisions on future qualification systems for championship events and for the future rotation of the World Athletics Relays.

Entry standards and world rankings

The Council has approved the continuation of the current qualification system structure for World Athletics Championships and Olympic Games.

Therefore, the target 50/50 split of athletes qualified through entry standards and the world rankings, which was used for the Olympic Games in Tokyo and is in use for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, will remain in use for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The Council plans to review the world rankings system later this year, and subsequently approve the scoring system for 2023.

Marathon qualification system for Paris

To enable early selection, as well as national trials, for the Olympic Games marathon in Paris, the Council has approved a two-step procedure for the Olympic marathon qualification system.

On 6 February 2024, any athlete

1. having achieved the entry standard (to be confirmed at a later Council session) or 

2. ranked higher than the 65th athlete on the filtered (three athletes per national Olympic committee) ‘Road to Paris’ list

will be considered qualified and eligible for immediate selection.

In addition, the Council also approved a quota reallocation option in the marathon only. Any national Olympic committee may choose to reallocate a quota place to an unqualified athlete, provided the athlete has achieved at least a 2:11:30 (men) or 2:29:30 (women) eligibility performance within the qualification window.

The entry standards for the marathon will be approved by the Council at a later meeting.

Future rotation of World Athletics Relays

Since 2015, the World Athletics Relays has been a biennial event, taking place in odd years to serve as a World Athletics Championships qualifying event in the championship disciplines as well as offering race opportunities in the less traditional events such as the shuttle hurdles relays and the 2x2x400m mixed team relay.

Having evaluated recent editions, the Council has decided to change the future scheduling of this event to an even-year rotation, starting in 2024. The event will serve as the trials in Olympic years, with the Council to approve a detailed format of the event at the next Council meeting in July. 

Inclusion of 5km/10km in 5000m/10,000m qualification systems for Budapest and Paris

Acknowledging the popularity and performance level of the 5km and 10km road events, the Council has decided that both disciplines will be included in the qualification system for the 5000m and 10,000m respectively at future championships.

Therefore, it will be possible to qualify for the 5000m and the 10,000m at eligible road events, and results achieved in the road events will count towards the world rankings in the 5000m and 10,000m.

Inclusion of cross country rankings in qualification systems for Budapest and Paris

Following the launch of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour as well as the cross country rankings, the Council has decided to modify the cross country qualification pathway for the 10,000m at future championships.

The top 15 men and women in the World Cross Country Championships 2019 were automatically qualified in the 10,000m for the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha. Following the latest decision made by the Council, this will be replaced by a new pathway.

Starting with the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, the top eight men and top eight women in the cross country rankings, who are not already qualified via entry standard or world 10,000m ranking, will be automatically qualified.

Entry standards in the 10,000m for Budapest will be approved by the Council in July this year.

(06/22/2022) Views: 930 ⚡AMP
by World Athletics