Athletics can’t keep kidding itself – it needs a five-pronged plan to save track and field | Sean Ingle

The article discusses the need for athletics, particularly track and field, to undergo a five-pronged plan to revitalize the sport and appeal to a younger audience. It draws a comparison to Formula One, which has successfully embraced social media and engaged with a younger demographic. The article highlights a recent interaction between Olympic champion Noah Lyles and YouTuber Darren Watkins, also known as IShowSpeed, who has challenged Lyles to a 50-meter race for $100,000. The article describes the confrontation, with Speed boasting about his abilities and performing a backflip before the race, which is started by the YouTube megastar Mr. Beast. The article suggests that athletics needs to follow a similar approach to Formula One, focusing on social media engagement, embracing new formats and personalities, improving the spectator experience, and addressing doping and corruption issues. The author argues that these measures are crucial for the sport to regain its relevance and appeal to a younger generation of fans.