# World Athletics strategic leadership and development > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/world-athletics-strategic-leadership-and-development > Updated: 2026-09-13T10:04:00.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has addressed several strategic priorities for the sport, ranging from athlete welfare to organizational independence. Initially, Coe emphasized the necessity of maintaining independence from political influence while advocating for increased prize money to ensure athlete financial stability. This followed World Athletics’ decision to award $50,000 to gold medallists at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Following the Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Coe shifted focus toward the long-term evolution of track and field. He highlighted the need to engage younger audiences through athlete storytelling and social media. Additionally, the organization is evaluating hosting bids for the 2029 and 2031 World Athletics Championships, with contenders including Munich, London, Rome, and Nairobi. Coe also noted plans to refine the Ultimate Championship format, which utilizes a condensed program of 26 individual and two mixed relay events, to improve visual engagement. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-13: Sebastian Coe discusses future of athletics and World Championship bids World Athletics President Sebastian Coe discusses the future of athletics through storytelling and the upcoming bidding process for the 2029 and 2031 World Championships, featuring Munich and Nairobi. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sebastian-coe-discusses-future-of-athletics-and-world-championship-bids ### 2026-08-14: Sebastian Coe advocates for athlete prize money and political independence in sports World Athletics President Sebastian Coe advocates for protecting sports from political interference and emphasizes that prize money is critical to ensuring the financial welfare of athletes. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sebastian-coe-advocates-for-athlete-prize-money-and-political-independence-in-sports --- Cite as: World Athletics strategic leadership and development. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/world-athletics-strategic-leadership-and-development