Coe Touts Faster Format, Richer Rewards After Ultimate Debut
Coe said the condensed meet and wider payouts are drawing attention, with winners earning $150,000 from the record $10 million prize pot.
- On Sunday, the inaugural three-day Ultimate Championship concludes in Budapest, demonstrating World Athletics president Sebastian Coe's vision for a faster-paced format to engage modern audiences.
- Coe emphasized that the event's condensed structure and national team uniforms over commercial kits eliminate lengthy delays, strengthening fan engagement with younger audiences.
- Winners collected $150,000 from the record $10 million prize pot; British long jumper Jazmin Sawyers earned $75,000 and said the money means she can "stay on in the sport for another year."
- The event attracted more than 20 International Olympic Committee members and senior officials from other sports, though Coe noted the event schedule is "not in tablets of stone" regarding criticism of exclusions.
- Russian Athletics filed a fresh appeal with CAS last month challenging sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine, creating ongoing legal hurdles for World Athletics president Sebastian Coe.
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12 Articles
Coe touts faster format, richer rewards after Ultimate debut
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe believes his sport has spent too long asking spectators to wait, and he points to the new Ultimate Championship as evidence of how athletics can move faster to attract younger audiences.
With the Ultimate Championship, World Athletics creates an innovative format that is intended to inspire a younger audience for the early sport of athletics. That's not so easy – as other sports have already noted.
World Athletics CEO Sebastian Coe believes that track and field has kept fans waiting too long for an attractive format with a $10 million prize pool. He pointed to the new Ultimate Championship as proof that the sport can be more dynamic and appeal to younger audiences.
"I've never understood why there's a seven-minute gap between the women's 200-meter heats," Coe said Sunday morning. "It just drives me crazy. So I think the faster events are more appealing to young people."
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