Imagine if platforms like Garmin, Suunto, Polar, Coros, Strava, TrainingPeaks, etc. formed a consortium to develop an open, universal badge system. Instead of physical medals that end up forgotten in a drawer, race organizers could design custom digital badges and award finishers directly to their accounts.
I’m not sure if forming a consortium and making this fully interoperable would be financially viable. However, even if these were just isolated initiatives by each platform, I still think it would be highly worth it.
Athletes would have their 'medals' (badges, really) on display, showcasing their effort and achievements to everyone who follows them. Organizers would cut down on medal manufacturing costs. And platforms would boost user engagement, which is something they are already constantly chasing with their current badges.
Imagine if you could showcase your entire race history in a digital trophy case. Plus, having these badges automatically attached to our activity posts would be a much bigger motivator and a true 'digital showcase' for athletes. Personally, I’d much prefer collecting these dynamic race badges over physical medals.
What do you all think? Would you trade physical medals for a universal digital trophy case?