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Tobi Amusan to receive trophy instead of medal at World Athletics Ultimate Championship
Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan and the other winners at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship will be presented with trophies rather than traditional gold, silver and bronze medals.
The new global championship will be held in Budapest, Hungary, from 11 to 13 September, with World Athletics introducing a different awards format to underline the prestige of becoming an Ultimate Champion.
Only athletes who finish first in their respective disciplines will receive a trophy. There will be no silver or bronze medals for the athletes finishing second and third.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said the decision was intended to reflect the competition’s central aim: identifying the “best of the best” in global track and field.
“We have made an intentional decision to move away from medals as the awards at the Ultimate Championship,” Coe said.
“This global championship is all about striving to be the one athlete who comes out on top. Distributing awards for the top three didn’t feel true to that foundational concept, so we are instead focused on the trophies given to the winners of each discipline.”
The trophies will be accompanied by a personalised bracelet for every athlete competing at the first edition of the championship, regardless of their result.
Each adjustable bracelet will carry the athlete’s name on the outside. The official name of the event will be engraved on the inside, creating a distinctive keepsake for all participants.
Amusan is among the athletes expected to compete in Budapest and will have the chance to claim one of the specially designed trophies. She will also receive the commemorative bracelet alongside the other competitors taking part in the championship.
The awards system marks a departure from the traditional medal presentation used at major athletics events, where the top three finishers are recognised.
Instead, World Athletics says its focus at the Ultimate Championship is on celebrating the athlete who finishes first in each event and earns the title of ultimate champion.
The competition is expected to bring together leading athletes from across the world for a contest centred on determining the winner in each discipline.
For Amusan and the other competitors, victory will therefore carry the prospect of a unique trophy, while participation itself will be marked by a bracelet bearing their name and the official event title.
