Restructuring the international outdoor season

[Atticus]

I read with interest the article about athletes meeting with Coe about how to improve the elites' season. Some points made

The restructuring of the competition calendar should take the form of a "real league" with the IAAF World Championships staged at the conclusion of the season, they said. . . . There was also support voiced for the ideas behind the World Rankings. Athletes stressed the importance of knowing, at the end of each year, who the top athletes were in each event, something that's clear in many other sports. Linking the rankings to entry into the IAAF World Championships was also looked upon favourably.
Athletes also discussed prize money and appearance fees, with several saying they'd prefer the elimination of the latter and an increase in the former.

[26mi235]

It is not going to happen, as the real winner is the going to be selected in the yearly rankings.

[gh]

may be important to note that the "athletes" who met with Coe were apparently all pole vaulters. Not saying it's so, but it's a definite possibility that their view of what a season should be doesn't necessarily dovetail with those in other events.

[ATK]

may be important to note that the "athletes" who met with Coe were apparently all pole vaulters. Not saying it's so, but it's a definite possibility that their view of what a season should be doesn't necessarily dovetail with those in other events.

That was going to be my question. Who specifically we're these athletes?

[gh]

you can read the story on the home page

[Powell]

Let's see... So Almaz Ayana would not have been allowed to run in the 2017 WC, since she hadn't competed all season up to that point?

[AS]

Let's see... So Almaz Ayana would not have been allowed to run in the 2017 WC, since she hadn't competed all season up to that point?

But if the new system were in place WOULD she have chosen not to compete all season... We need to factor in the shifting incentives...

[donley2]

Let's see... So Almaz Ayana would not have been allowed to run in the 2017 WC, since she hadn't competed all season up to that point?

Works for me.

[26mi235]

Tennis has gone the route of making it such that most athletes are pushed in to doing a lot of tournaments. And those that really do it and are pretty good have ended up "Number 1" and yet many never seemed to actually be able to win the #1 Tournaments. So, you can have two rankings: those that do the points of the organization and the real athletes and they do not overlap too much. You noticed that they did not dare do this when Bolt was around because Bolt would not be ranked all that high but was repeatedly the IAAF AOY.

That is what you need to know about the weaknesses of such rankings. There are advantages for the sport, but it will hurt the US because there is a lot of very good competition, including collegians, who will not get many points under this sort of system. And it will hurt the domestic scene here. If the US had a veto I would have them veto most systems that the IAAF are likely to 'gin up'.

[Powell]

But if the new system were in place WOULD she have chosen not to compete all season... We need to factor in the shifting incentives...

She "chose" not to compete all season because she had been injured.

[Gabriella2]

But was she injured? I would question that, turning up at a championship in that form and yet supposedly having an injury that prevented her from competing all season. It doesn't wash with me.

Her case aside, you still need a system that protects athletes that are truly injured and manage to round into some form.

[norunner]

That article is from the IAAF, asking the IAAF to write an honest article about the new ranking system is like asking the NRA to be honest about gun violence. Would they even mention athletes criticizing anything Coe does?
As for Ayana, i don't think the new system would have changed anything for her unless they also get rid of the wild cards but i don't see that happening.