Here is how World Athletics is Prepping for the New Normal in the Post-Covid19 Era
The post-pandemic era is pushing sporting events, associations, and teams towards adopting cohesive and preventive measures. Although a few sporting events like basketball leagues and wrestling tournaments are subject to speculations and season cancellations, athletics is one specialization that is innovating and bringing in newer strategies for combating threats and redundancies.
What are the Postulated Changes?
Before we delve any deeper into this discussion, it is necessary to understand the modus operandi of this sport in general. Athletes, runners, and the operational staff are subject to physical proximities, courtesy of post-event hugs, high-jump impact onto the sand, contact with accessories like the javelin, and more. Therefore, it is imperative that World Athletics eliminates the chances of infection by consulting with the global ‘Health and Science’ department.
Based on the guidelines postulated by the department, the event organizers must take special care when it comes to eliminating closed calling rooms and hugs or physical contact after the event conclusion. World athletics is postulating every possible technique to protect the athletes and even officials from the lingering threats.
Although it is still unclear as to when international athletic events will resume, World Athletics seems pretty convinced that preventive measures can combat the dangers, if followed diligently by event organizers.
Athletic experts at Lines.com believe the inclusion of hand sanitizers, masks, and wipes will become a standard procedure for each athlete. Besides that, water-based athletic events will involve the usage of chlorine for sanitizing the point of contact. Coaches will be able to interact with the athletes in a restricted manner and primarily over smartphones.
Enlisting the Attempts to Restart
A few challenges targeting pole vaults have already started flooding the internet, showing the willingness of the athletes to resume operations. Besides the garden challenges, there are speculations regarding the expected appearance of Karsten Warholm and the famed Ingebrigtsen brothers at the much-anticipated Impossible Games, running across 300-meter hurdles and even a 2000 meter team racing event.
Why World Athletics is considering resuming operations?
Unlike sporting events like basketball and wrestling where players need to abide by the norms of social distancing at all times, athletics concerns bigger and more open playing fields. The chances of getting infected are a lot less if the athlete is only running and not coming in contact with others. However, the audience accumulation is restricted for now, regardless of the sport we are talking about.
World Athletics is considering several futuristic options for diverse athletic events, specifically to resume operations and competitions at the earliest. The first step is the inclusion of anti-viral pits of sand, where the mixture comprises a non-irritable virucide and biodegradable agent that isn’t harsh on the skin surface. These solutions create a sanitizing effect that minimizes the chances of contamination.
Other tweaks involve usage of chlorinated water during steeplechase, cleaning of the race starting blocks, no-hug principles, outdoor calling rooms, and usage of face masks at all times except while competing in person or even warming up.
