‘It’s great to see’

Athletes showcased their personalities, built anticipation, and offered a glimpse of what lies ahead at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 as The Day Before, a revamped pre-event media programme, took place at the Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Centre yesterday.

Replacing the traditional athlete press conference with a series of athlete-focused media and content opportunities, The Day Before featured a red carpet, athlete interviews, content capture sessions, the first-ever 200m lane draft, and a Kids’ Athletics Ultimate Challenge. About 200 athletes attended and interacted with 220 accredited media representatives and broadcasters.

The afternoon opened with an official press conference featuring World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, Ultimate Legend Usain Bolt, Hungary’s Minister of the Interior Gábor Pósfai, and 2008 Olympic 100m hurdles champion Dawn Harper-Nelson, who will serve as an infield host throughout the three-day championship.