Modern Pentathlon has made many changes to competition formats over the last several years to improve accessibility and interest for spectators. Now the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) is following our lead.
Concluding races in the decathlon and heptathlon events at the IAAF World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi in 2020 will see the introduction of handicapped starts based on previous points, it has been announced.
The IAAF Council has approved the introduction of the Gundersen method, currently used in modern pentathlon, into an event that has always been problematic at the finish as spectators wait to hear how the final 1,500 metres – or in the women’s event, 800m has worked out in terms of the overall result.
It would mean athletes finish in overall rank order.