On June 3rd 2020 World Athletics published a press release outlining its four-year strategic plan as well as details regarding the Olympic qualifying process for various events.
After eleven (11) weeks, World Athletics reopened its headquarters and quickly took advantage of the opportunity to discuss the following:
- its new Strategic Plan to drive growth
- the latest medical advice on the coronavirus pandemic, particularly as it impacts on athletes returning to training and competition
- the updated Olympic qualifying process for Tokyo next year
World Athletics held these discussions with its Two-Hundred and Fourteen (214) member federations over three online meeting sessions.
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Strategic Plan
In summary the strategic plan covered the following:
Vision
To use the power and accessibility of athletics and our athletes to create a healthier and fitter world.
Mission
- Grow the sport and make it relevant in people’s lives and the lives of their communities.
- Inspire by creating globally appealing and accessible competitions, events, and activities so our talented athletes can entertain and inspire the world.
- Lead by being the best example of a well-governed sports federation taking brave leadership decisions and valuing partnerships that deliver athletics around the world.
We will grow athletics, by doing the things we do already even better through an on-going programme of continuous improvement and by delivering new and exciting initiatives and programmes with a focus on four priority goals.
Also addressed were:
- Participation and events
- People
- Fans
- Partnerships
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Olympic qualification system
| Events | Entry standards period | World rankings period |
|---|---|---|
|
Marathon, |
1 Jan 2019 – 5 April 2020 21 months |
1 December 2018 – 5 April 2020 22 months |
|
10,000m, |
1 Jan 2019 – 5 April 2020 22 months |
1 Jan 2019 – 5 April 2020 22 months |
|
All other events |
1 May 2019 – 5 April 2020 18 months |
30 June 2019 – 5 April 2020 16 months |
Marathon automatic qualifiers:
- The top 10 finishers in the men’s marathon and in the women’s marathon at the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019
- The top 5 finishers at the World Athletics Gold Label marathons and the top 10 finishers at the Marathon Major Series (Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York) held during the qualification period from 1 January 2019 to 5 April 2020
- The top 10 finishers at the Platinum Label marathons and the winners of the Gold Label marathons held during the period from 1 December 2020 to 31 May 2021.
Relay teams automatic qualifiers:
- The top 8 placed NOCs at the World Athletics Relays Silesia 2021, if not already qualified from Doha 2019, shall automatically qualify for the relay events at the 2020 Olympic Games.
