After the inaugural Ultimate Championship in Budapest, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe outlined practical changes — shorter event windows, clearer broadcasts, more athlete promotion and a longer global calendar — aimed at expanding audiences and giving athletes more earning options.
World Athletics is exploring an extended global season, using different hemispheres and climates to offer more events and athlete options.
The Ultimate Championship is experimental: some disciplines may be added or removed based on popularity and opportunity to raise profiles.
World Athletics is asking top athletes to take on bigger promotional roles. Pole vault world record holder Mondo Duplantis participated beyond competition: he wrote a song titled "Gold" for the championship and was scheduled to perform at the closing ceremony. Coe described Duplantis as "the gift that keeps giving."
Usain Bolt has reappeared around the sport in promotional and junior-development roles. Coe said Bolt wants to be involved but noted the challenge of finding the right role: Bolt is unlikely to chair committees, but World Athletics sees opportunities for him in events and promotion.
The structure is deliberately experimental: future editions could add or omit disciplines, and formats will be adjusted based on what attracts audiences and builds athlete profiles.
A structural concern for World Athletics is that the elite season is short. Coe called the June–September window "a short season for a sport that's supposed to be professional." To address that, World Athletics plans to position the World Championships and Ultimate Championship as season climaxes while creating more competitive opportunities across different climates and hemispheres.
Possible shifts include holding certain events later in the year in locations such as southern California, South Africa or Australia. Coe framed this as offering "more choice rather than more pressure," with the aim of giving athletes additional opportunities for competition and financial security without forcing extra commitments.
He also acknowledged climate change and athlete welfare as drivers for moving some events to different times of year — especially for endurance disciplines where heat and conditions affect safety.
Coe stressed that extending the season should not mean increased pressure on athletes. The stated objective is to give athletes more options and make competing a more reliable source of income, citing examples like Jakob Ingebrigtsen weighing future decisions after an injury-affected season.
World Athletics used the Ultimate Championship to test a more streamlined, entertainment-friendly format, clearer broadcasts and active star promotion. The organization plans iterative changes informed by audience data and wants a longer, more global season that balances opportunity with athlete welfare.
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