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The International Athletics Federation (IAAF) has announced its new official world rankings system, designed to provide a more effective way of identifying top athletes in each discipline.
The body also believe it will change the way athletes qualify for major championships.
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.
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.
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 rankings would not be used for qualification for this year’s world championships in Doha, but Coe said that was the longer-term aim.
“The IAAF world rankings will drive and shape the global competition system including entry into future major championships,” he said.
