"It's not that Ridgeon wildly disagrees with my premise that athletics needs to do more to attract gen Z and stay relevant. But he maintains my column is overly negative, skewed towards one side, and doesn't reflect how much World Athletics has transformed the sport. I enjoy a good debate. So we begin to tease out the arguments and find common ground."
"At one point Ridgeon graciously admits that some of his friends agree with me more than him. I respond by saying I should have acknowledged World Athletics' achievements, including the Athletics Integrity Unit to tackle doping. But there is still plenty of meat on the bone when Usain pushes the bass to tinnitus-inducing levels and we have to push our discussion down the road."
Midnight in Tokyo, Usain Bolt DJed at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships launch party while World Athletics chief executive Jon Ridgeon confronted criticism of the sport's direction. Ridgeon, a former 110m hurdles silver medallist, defended recent reforms and argued that global television, media and social audiences show growth. He acknowledged the need to attract Gen Z and admitted some peers share the criticism. He highlighted achievements such as the Athletics Integrity Unit to tackle doping. The encounter included mutual recognition of successes and remaining challenges, with energetic event surroundings briefly interrupting more detailed exchanges before a later, fuller meeting.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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