It’s time for World Athletics to eliminate the World Championship bye for defending champions

Can you imagine the Kansas City Chiefs being placed into the NFL playoffs because they won the Super Bowl two years ago? Of course not, it would ruin the drama of the regular season. And the byes in track totally ruin the drama of US championships – one of the best meets on planet earth. Across the last four US championships in Worlds years (2019, 2022, 2023, 2025), almost half of the US’s reigning world champions have either skipped the final or not participated seriously. LRC’s proposal would make USAs better while keeping Worlds great.
*LRC editorial: It’s time for World Athletics to eliminate the World Championship bye for defending champions

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