Great success for World Athletics. The world body for athletics was named ‘Elite Organisation of the Year’ at the BBC Green Sport Awards on Monday 7 October in London. The trophy was presented by the British public broadcaster in recognition of its initiatives to protect the environment and combat climate change. On top of the list, the launch of its ‘Athletics for a Better World’ standard, a new process to assess the local environmental, social and economic impacts and benefits of an athletics event. It is now included in the bidding and licensing process for competitions. Launched in 2022, the BBC’s annual awards showcase individuals and organisations from around the world who are actively contributing to a more sustainable future. World Rugby and OCOG Paris 2024 were also nominated in the ‘Elite Organisation of the Year’ category. Athletics received double recognition at the London event, as Australian race walker Rhydian Cowley, bronze medallist in the mixed relay marathon at Paris 2024, was named World Athlete of the Year, in recognition of his climate action and promotion of environmental sustainability at local and global levels.
