World 1 League, a new social media-focused pro league founded by nine Olympians and backed by entrepreneurs Mark Cuban and Jim Swartz, has launched, promising “first-of-its-kind” live stadium events.
World 1 League is seeking to search the planet for the greatest athletes in individual, Olympic-style sports via social media challenges and live events. Claiming to be the first professional sports league built specifically for social media, World 1 League will crown champions in eight different events in its first year.
The launch commences with the following men’s and women’s competitions:
World’s Fastest Man/Woman (100-metre dash)
World’s Strongest Man/Woman (weightlifting, clean and jerk)
World’s Fastest Swimmer (50-metre freestyle)
World’s Longest Jumper (long jump)
World’s Fastest Climber (speed climbing)
World’s Highest Vaulter (pole vault)
World’s Longest Thrower (shot put)
World’s Highest Jumper (high jump)
World 1 League’s co-founders include US track and field star Sanya Richards-Ross, a five-time Olympic medallist, and US swimmer Erik Vendt, a three-time Olympic medallist. Vendt’s fellow American swimmer, five-time Olympic gold medallist Janet Evans, is also part of the ownership group.
Brett Morris, former co-founder and chief operating officer of esports company Super League Gaming, is another co-founder of World 1 League and has been appointed CEO. He said: “TikTok and Instagram are generating and engaging worldwide audiences in numbers far greater than the major TV networks.
“There’s no better medium to develop and introduce a new sports league and excite a new generation of world sports fans than social media, featuring the incredible feats of the world’s greatest athletes. Our long jump challenge will be the first time a sport will be contested, worldwide, on social media.”
Tara Davis, who is set to compete for Team USA at the forthcoming Tokyo Olympic Games, kicked off the ‘World’s Longest Jumper’ challenge yesterday (Tuesday). Competitors from around the world can upload their long jump videos to TikTok and Instagram using the #World1League hashtag, which automatically enters them in the World 1 Rankings.
The challenge is open to anyone at three different age/skill levels – Under 16, Under 20 and Elite. It is being contested through to August 3 – the day of the Olympic long jump finals in Tokyo. Organisers said the schedule of the League’s eight events will be announced on a rolling basis in the coming weeks.
Vendt added: “Beyond a cool title and ranking, World 1 provides athletes an entirely new and innovative means to make money – from money meets to sponsorships. Athletes are already a big part of social media, but now including them in a formal, organised league, where they can be rewarded and ranked, is a whole new way to use our platform.
“With our challenges open to everyone, all athletes can go to social media to not just watch, but compete in what could easily become the world’s largest sports competition.”
Image: World 1 League
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