The World Athletics Board’s decision to adopt the new term reflects the need for greater flexibility in the sport. Maintaining the traditional separation between outdoor and indoor athletics has become increasingly difficult, hence the introduction of ‘short track’ as a more inclusive and adaptable classification.
By adopting this new terminology, World Athletics aims to facilitate the organization of athletics events in a variety of contexts, recognizing the evolving nature of the sport and its competitions.
“With this new concept, the 200m short track will no longer be confined to the indoor environment, and a world of opportunities will open up for meeting organizers to hold official competitions in any facility available to them,” said said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. A declaration.
“This change will enable and actively encourage the ability for 200m tracks to move to an outdoor environment and provide a more affordable option for cities, particularly where space is limited, while driving the growth of the sport through investments in new infrastructure,” added Coe.
The introduction of the term “short track” will allow performances achieved on outdoor or temporary 200m tracks to be officially recognized for records and rankings, regardless of the environment in which they take place. This means that athletes competing in these settings will have their performances considered on par with those achieved on traditional indoor tracks.
While indoor championships will still take place, the concept of “short track” championships may be held in situations where there are few or no indoor facilities available.
These championships would serve as qualifying events for major indoor championships, providing athletes with additional opportunities to showcase their skills and qualify for prestigious competitions.
This innovative approach to performance recognition and competition organization will be formally approved at the World Athletics Council meeting in Budapest in August. Once approved, it will further enhance the inclusiveness and adaptability of athletics competitions.
