MONACO (MON): In his mid-December video chats with global track & field media representatives, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe discussed his ambitious plans for the future of the sport.
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Sebastian Coe, who has long been a pivotal figure in athletics, expressed a desire to elevate the broadcasting quality of athletics to the same standard as sports like football, cricket, and rugby.
Sebastian Coe Highlights Diamond League Success in Media Chat
Coe praised the Budapest 2023 World Championships, referring to them as the “best World Championships we’ve ever had,” and commended the Diamond League for being “as good as it’s ever been.”
Looking forward to 2024, he underscored its importance not only due to the Olympics but also because of five world championships on the calendar. Additionally, he mentioned the potential of hosting the world marathon at a World Marathon Major as a response to global warming challenges.
Sebastian Coe Reveals Plans for ‘Best of the Best’ Event in 2026
In his vision for 2026, Coe discussed a new major event, “Best of the Best,” aimed at being a television-focused showcase with straight finals in field events and semi-finals and finals in track events. He also spoke about future-proofing the sport by involving the next generation of technical officials, volunteers, and coaches.
Innovation remains a key theme in Coe’s plans, with an innovation team at World Athletics where “nothing is off the table.” He highlighted the need for changes in athletics, citing the high number of invalid attempts in horizontal jumps, which presents a problem for television audiences. Furthermore, Coe confirmed that the 20km race walk event would remain in the program for the upcoming Olympics and World Championships.
World Athletics President Coe Considers Rescheduling World XC Champs
Coe also revealed that there might be a rescheduling of the date for the World Cross Country Championships and stated that the World Athletics Athlete of the Year 2023 format, where six athletes won awards, would be reviewed.
On a different note, Coe criticized the Paris 2024 organizers for the high cost of Olympic tickets, raising concerns about the affordability for true fans and athletes’ families. He pointed out that tickets for some athletics sessions at the Stade de France are priced starting at £595.
“I don’t want fans being costed out of the stadium, and I certainly don’t want athletes and their families being costed out of the stadium,” Coe said on the eve of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.
This statement was a direct call to make the games more accessible to genuine supporters and participants’ families.
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How does Sebastian Coe envision the “Best of the Best” event, and what is its focus in terms of competition format and television presentation?
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