European Athletics Votes In Favor Of New Ranking System To Decide Qualification

A plan for a ranking system to be used for qualification for the European Athletics Championships was approved in principal by the European Athletics Council on Saturday. The system will link existing European one-day meetings to the championships, and develop a promotional narrative for the organization’s flagship event. It will be based on each athlete’s results in head-to-head competition rather than the traditional time or distance standards. European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen said, "This is a revolutionary move for promoting our sport. Our aim is to show that every time athletes compete it has a clear meaning and is another step on the road to our championships." In addition to qualification, the system will give a ranking in each discipline that is updated weekly, providing stories that both European Athletics and the athletes themselves can communicate through traditional news and social media channels (European Athletics).