DOHA: Athletics must become “a lot more entertaining” and follow the lead set by basketball and winter sports to attract younger fans, Sebastian Coe urged on Thursday.
The world athletics chief, speaking in Doha 24 hours ahead of the opening Diamond League meeting of the season, said his sport needed to adapt and use new formats and engage with its audience more on social media.
“We have to make our sport a lot more entertaining and a lot more innovative for younger people, that means the speed with which they watch events,” Coe told reporters at a press conference in Doha.
“Our activity is athletics but our business is entertainment,” he added.
Coe cited the example of winter sports, which have brought in several new competitions in recent years, including 10 new events at the Sochi Olympics in 2014.
These included the Luge relay, women’s ski jumping and snowboard parallel slalom.
Coe also pointed to the NBA, which has attracted hundreds of millions of fans on social media including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
“If you look at the way a lot of winter sports are presented... crowds are entertained and the way social media is used to bring the competitors into the lives of spectators, I think Nordic sports has definitely done that very well.
“If you look at the younger audiences which are now watching winter sports at the Olympic Games, that’s actually a younger cohort than in the summer games.
“There are things we can learn from.
“If you look at the way the NBA, NHL have really pushed the envelope on social media, that’s been quite innovative.”
He added: “We have to be on our game on this.”
The IAAF president also re-affirmed recent claims that changes could be made to speed up the format of the Olympics and World Championships.
He also said athletics should consider extending its season, which currently runs from May to September.
“We are never going to die, we are a strong sport, but I think we can be much better.
“I don’t think we have kept up with other sports in the way we access younger people,” said Coe.
Friday’s meeting in Doha is the opening outdoor event of an Olympics season but comes at a time when athletics is under a cloud and dealing with the latest doping allegations.
Despite that, a strong field of some 80 current and former Olympic medallists will be competing in Qatar, including Kenya’s Asbel Kiprop, the Netherlands’ Dafne Schippers and Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown.
Coe calls for athletics to be ‘more entertaining’
Coe calls for athletics to be ‘more entertaining’
Australia injury woes continue with skipper Marsh ruled out of World Cup opener
- Former captain Steve Smith will join squad in Sri Lanka as cover while Travis Head captains team
- Marsh sustained direct blow to the groin during training earlier this week, Cricket Australia says
Australia captain Mitchell Marsh will miss the opening game of their Twenty20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on Wednesday with a groin injury, Cricket Australia (CA) said.
Steve Smith will now join the squad in Sri Lanka as cover, with fellow batsman Travis Head captaining the side at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium and Matthew Renshaw coming into the team.
Marsh sustained a direct blow to the groin during training earlier this week and is experiencing pain and discomfort which is restricting his movement, the board added.
“Scans have confirmed internal testicular bleeding, and he will require a period of rest and rehabilitation. His return to play will be guided by symptom resolution and medical advice,” CA said in a statement.
Head said at the toss later that Marsh was unlucky to miss out and appeared to play down the seriousness of the injury. He did not give a timeline for his teammate’s return.
“Unfortunately Mitchie Marsh has copped a blow at training a couple of days ago and no one has been willing to massage it out for him,” Head joked after winning the toss and opting to bat.
“He’s the unfortunate one but the rest (of the side) is the same. It’s nice to have a couple of boys back from the Pakistan series. Strong team and we’re looking forward to going well.”
Australia are also without fast bowler Pat Cummins, who was ruled out of the event after failing to recover from a niggling back injury. Fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood lost a race to be fit after Achilles and hamstring injuries.
Mitchell Starc has quit the format, leaving them without their top quick bowlers.
The big-hitting Tim David was also ruled out of the first game as he returns from a hamstring strain.
The 2021 champions take on Zimbabwe in their second match on Friday.
