ASOIF Review: World Athletics retains top-tier position

World Athletics retained its position in the highest governance band, as per the fifth review that was carried out by the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF). The organization has made impressive progress and continues to do so.

It has advanced from the A2 to the AI band in the last review two years ago. Published this week, the latest review confirms World Athletics' place in the top tier along with six other international sports federations.

It has made it a priority to enhance its governance, structures, and processes over the past eight years. In 2017 and 2019, significant constitutional changes were made to meet modern governance standards set for global organizations.

The changes made by the organization included establishing an Athletics Integrity Unit, implementing vetting and disciplinary procedures, including athlete representation on the ruling council, and efforts to promote gender equality through the Gender Leadership Taskforce.

An early fulfillment of a reform requirement to have 13 members of each gender elected to the World Athletics Council by 2027 was a notable achievement, with the target met last year, four years ahead of schedule.

ASOIF, in the latest review, highlighted World Athletics as an exemplary organization, recognizing its world plan, annual report, gender balance, integrity investigations, safeguarding measures, Athlete's commission, publication of open positions, member governance compliance, financial transparency, bid allocation, and data protection.

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World Athletics president Sebastian Coe expresses gratitude

Sebastian Coe at the Golden Tracks Awards (Image via Getty)

Sebastian Coe, World Athletics president and ASOIF Council Member expressed his gratitude to the ASOIF Governance Taskforce for their promotion of good governance. He also emphasized his commitment to build on the progress that has been made so far.

"I am immensely proud to lead an exemplary international federation," Coe stated in a press release.

"Our recognition as an A1 federation is a testament to the hard work and the long journey World Athletics has undertaken to reach this gold-standard level," he added.

Besides World Athletics, BWF, FIFA, ITF, UCI, FEI, and World Rugby are the other organizations that found themselves in the A1 Band of international sports federations.

Coe also acknowledged the coming together of international federations to bring about collective improvement.

“I would also like to acknowledge the collective improvement among international federations – the report shows the step-change across the vast majority of international federations as they strive to become models of good governance. It is important that these efforts and the progress made is recognised across the Olympic movement," Sebastian Coe concluded.