World Athletics | 1. Invitational Open Competitions (2024)

Invitational/Open competitions are those competitions which are organized with only a selected number of events and/or are based on inviting the athletes, like Wanda Diamond League meetings, World Athletics Continental Tour meetings, Area and National permit meetings and other one-day competitions. They are mostly organized in one day, but in some cases they may be organized in more than one day.

Basic Rules

When calculating the Competition Score the following factors are considered:

1. Result Score: The actual results achieved in the competition
2. Participation Score: The level of the participating athletes
3. WR Bonus: World Records achieved in the competition

Competition Score = Competition Result Score + Competition Participation Score + WR Bonus

1. Competition Result Score

1.1. Calculating the Competition Result Score

1. The 12 best Events (see 1.2.) plus the 12 best remaining results (see 1.3.), i.e. a total of 72 results, are calculated to get the Result Score of the competition.

1.2. Calculating the 12 best Events

1. The 5 best results in all the Events are added up to get the Event's Result Score.
2. From all the Events which meet the above requirement, the 12 best Events are included for the calculation.
3. In the 12 best Events only Finals are considered. Heats, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Qualifications or individual events during the combined events are not included in this calculation.

1.3. Remaining 12 results

1. From the results of the 20 best Events and which are not included in the 5 best results of the 12 best Events, theremaining12 best results are included.
2. Results from Heats, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Qualifications and individual events during the combined events are also considered when calculating the remaining 12 results.

1.4. Result Scores

1. Results Scores are awarded for the result achieved by the athlete according to the latest edition of the relevant (i.e. indoor/outdoor) WA Scoring Tables of Athletics (by Dr. Bojidar Spiriev). For disciplines which are not included in the latest editions of WA Scoring Tables of Athletics, special Scoring Tables have been developed in full conformity with the WA versions.Only those events are considered which are either Main or Similar Events in the World Athletics Rankings.
2. Results Scores are calculated with the Wind and Hand Timing Modification System, as used in the World Rankings as well.

2. Competition Participation Score

2.1. Calculating the Competition Participation Score

1. The sum of the 5 best Participation Scores of the athletes in each of the 12 best Events (see 1.2.b) plus the further 12 best Participation Scores for athletes from the 20 best Events and who are not included in the previous 60 (i.e. a total of maximum 72 Participation Scores).
2. Participation Scores for each athlete are determined by the following achievements:

• Position in the World Rankings - see point 2.2.
• Top 3 placings in the latest World Championships or Olympic Games. - see point 2.3
• Current World Record holder - see point 2.4.

2.2. Position in the World Rankings

1. A Participation Score is awarded for the athlete if he/she was ranked in the latest World Rankings, which were published at least 4 days prior to the start of the competition.
2. Scores are given for the Overall or the Event Ranking position of the athletes, depending on which provides the higher Participation score.
3. Event Ranking positions are only considered in the same Event Group to which the event belongs, in which the athlete participated in the competition.

Table 1: World Rankings positions

2.3 Top 3 placing (Podium finishes in the latest WCH or Olympic Games)

1. In case the athlete achieved a Top 3 position in the latest World Championships or Olympic Games the following scores are given. Scores depend on in which Event Group the athlete has won the medal.

Table 2: Scores for podium finishes

2.4. World Record Holder

1. If the athlete is the current World Record holder, 120 points are given for the athlete as Participation Score.

3. WR Bonus

1. For each WR achieved in a competition, a WR Bonus Score is added to the sum of the Result Score and the Participation Score of the competition, according to the following table:

Table 3: WR Bonus scores