By Andrew Prentice For Daily Mail Australia
Published: 03:15 EDT, 22 July 2022 | Updated: 04:14 EDT, 22 July 2022
Watching an athlete receive a medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in an empty stadium was unacceptable in the eyes of World Athletics Championships boss Niels de Vos.
Fast forward to the current world track and field titles in the US from Oregon and there won't be a repeat scenario.
De Vos has made sure off that.
The executive director of Oregon22 has instead opted for 'instant medals' - and the feedback from global track and field stars has been resounding.
Athletes - including gold medal winning Aussie high jump star Eleanor Patterson - have been quickly issued placeholder medallions to enjoy on their victory lap.
Australia's Eleanor Patterson won gold in the high jump - and was one of many athletes issued an instant 'temporary medal' at the World Athletics Championships in the US
Oregon 2022 executive director Niels de Vos came up with the new age concept after witnessing an athlete at the 2016 Olympics awarded a medal in an empty stadium
Then they are given take-home ones - engraved with their names - which are presented at a later ceremony.
'To have that medal so fast, it's so nice,' said British runner Laura Muir, who snared bronze in the 1500m final.
'It's surreal because one minute you're not even across the line and the next minute you have the medal around your neck.'
De Vos explained his reasoning behind the decision.
'From an athlete's perspective, it's like, 'But my friends and family are here today. They haven't got a ticket tomorrow. I don't want to come back tomorrow for my medal and not have my family,' the ABC reported.
Eleanor Patterson is just the tenth Australian to achieve an athletics world title, joining the likes of Cathy Freeman, Dani Samuels and Sally Pearson
A post shared by CITIUS MAG (@citiusmag)
'Everybody likes this (new outcome).'
It takes just 68 seconds for medals to be engraved.
There's an engraving machine — four are used on heavy medal days — located in a room underneath the seats at Hayward Field in Oregon.
The one 'drama' at the world titles has been some athletes becoming quickly attached to their temporary medals - but it beats their medal moment being witnessed by no one.
The 2022 World Athletics Championships conclude on July 24.
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