After seven straight days spent in the upper reaches of National Stadium in Tokyo, peering down at the finish line from my assigned media seat, I felt like it was time to get a more authentic perspective.
I had bought tickets for the Friday evening session, featuring U.S. sprint star Noah Lyles’ signature event, the 200-meter final, long before I knew that I’d be covering the championships. Since I had the seats anyway, I wanted to get a sense of what the experience has been like for paying fans.
After all, one of the key storylines of these worlds is National Stadium fulfilling its destiny as a premier athletics venue, after the COVID-19 pandemic forced organizers to hold the Tokyo Olympics here without spectators. The fan experience is arguably more important at this event than any other — it’s a chance at a do-over for the stadium and the city.
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