World Athletics updates point allocation system for rankings

World Athletics has announced a restructuring of the point allocation system for competition rankings, effective January 1, 2026. The federation identified that previous systems heavily weighted competition placements, which allowed athletes to manipulate rankings through specific national championships. This issue impacted the qualification process for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games for various international athletes, including Apostolos Parellis, Filippa Fotopoulou, and Natalia Christofi. To address this, the new system reduces the emphasis on placement and balances it against raw performance metrics. Additionally, the federation has expanded the number of finishing positions that earn ranking points to ensure a broader distribution. The existing world ranking will continue to be compiled under the current rules until the new policy takes effect. These changes aim to provide a more accurate and equitable representation of athlete performance.