World Athletics President Coe backs faster tournament format in Budapest, Hungary
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said after the debut Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, that athletics should speed up the course of competitions in order to better engage younger audiences. The inaugural three-day tournament, which was due to end on the evening of September 13, was held in a compact television format.
As Channel NewsAsia reports, Coe criticized long pauses between races. He said he did not understand why seven minutes pass between heats of the women's 200 meters. In the World Athletics president's view, a faster flow of events better meets the expectations of younger viewers.
Compact competition format
The Ultimate Championship was conceived as the season-ending tournament. Organizers shortened the duration of pre-start athlete introductions, while on-screen graphics for viewers included information on rankings and the probability of winning. Coe noted that fans want to see the competition itself rather than wait a long time for the start.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Unlike the Diamond League series, participants competed in national team uniforms rather than commercial apparel. Coe believes that the national element can increase audience interest in athletes' performances.
Prize money and program review
The total prize fund for the competition was a record $10 million. Winners received $150,000 each, and prize payments were provided for athletes across the entire field of participants. American hurdler and world record holder Masai Russell told Coe that this was the largest amount she had earned in 11 seconds.
According to Coe, British long jumper Jazmin Sawyers, who finished second and received $75,000, told him that the money would allow her to remain in the sport for another year. After the tournament, the format is planned to be reviewed quickly: one of the complaints about the debut competition was the exclusion of some disciplines. Usain Bolt, Noah Lyles, and pole vault world record holder Mondo Duplantis, who won his event on Friday, took part in promoting the championship.
