IAAF launches new rankings system

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) says it has launched a new official world rankings system.

A statement on the association’ s website said it was 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.

”Athletes’ positions in the IAAF world rankings will be based upon the points they score, determined by their performance and place, and the importance of the competition in which those results are achieved to the IAAF global calendar.

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”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 statement said.

It, however, added that the world rankings would not be used for qualification for the IAAF World Athletics Championships holding in Doha this year.

”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 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.

“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.

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”This will allow them to follow a logical season-long path to the pinnacle of athletics’ top two competitions,” the statement quoted IAAF President, Sebastian Coe as saying.

It added that the IAAF world rankings“ would drive and shape the global competition system, including entry into future major championships and enable everyone in and interested in the sport to know who is number one in the world.”