"World Athletics' Chief Executive Jon Ridgeon Takes on My Column's Criticism"
In a heated exchange at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships launch party in Tokyo, I found myself face-to-face with World Athletics chief executive Jon Ridgeon. The reason for our meeting was my recent Guardian column, which he took issue with, labeling it "very unfair."
As we sipped cocktails amidst the pulsating beats of DJ Usain Bolt, Ridgeon expressed his frustration, a far cry from the polite demeanor I had expected. But, undeterred, I sought to engage him in a constructive debate.
While Ridgeon acknowledged that my column was critical of athletics' failure to attract casual fans, he countered that World Athletics has undergone significant transformations. He cited impressive growth metrics: 25% increase in income over the last three years, with global cities clamoring for the sport's events. The Tokyo championships, for instance, became the biggest sporting event of 2025.
Ridgeon also pointed to the increasing popularity of social media content featuring athletes like Noah Lyles and Mondo Duplantis, showcasing their incredible feats through innovative storytelling techniques – drone footage, anyone? He even shared data from World Athletics' research unit, which analyzes fans' emotional responses during events. It's a fascinating area of study that sheds light on the sport's appeal.
However, Ridgeon acknowledged that reform is a challenging process, especially for a 150-year-old sport. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic about the future, citing the success of initiatives like the World Treadmill Championships and social media-enabled athlete platforms.
What struck me most during our conversation was Ridgeon's willingness to acknowledge the limitations of athletics in terms of mainstream appeal. He even poked fun at the absurdity of cross-promotional deals between sports, like Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua.
While I still maintain that athletics needs to do more to attract casual fans, I must concede that World Athletics is taking steps in the right direction. Ridgeon's optimism and commitment to innovation are encouraging signs for the future of the sport.
As our discussion came to a close, I couldn't help but agree with Ridgeon on one thing: we should be pushing the boundaries of what athletics can achieve. With the right approach, who knows? Perhaps one day athletics will join the likes of Formula One in breaking into the mainstream sports landscape.
In a heated exchange at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships launch party in Tokyo, I found myself face-to-face with World Athletics chief executive Jon Ridgeon. The reason for our meeting was my recent Guardian column, which he took issue with, labeling it "very unfair."
As we sipped cocktails amidst the pulsating beats of DJ Usain Bolt, Ridgeon expressed his frustration, a far cry from the polite demeanor I had expected. But, undeterred, I sought to engage him in a constructive debate.
While Ridgeon acknowledged that my column was critical of athletics' failure to attract casual fans, he countered that World Athletics has undergone significant transformations. He cited impressive growth metrics: 25% increase in income over the last three years, with global cities clamoring for the sport's events. The Tokyo championships, for instance, became the biggest sporting event of 2025.
Ridgeon also pointed to the increasing popularity of social media content featuring athletes like Noah Lyles and Mondo Duplantis, showcasing their incredible feats through innovative storytelling techniques – drone footage, anyone? He even shared data from World Athletics' research unit, which analyzes fans' emotional responses during events. It's a fascinating area of study that sheds light on the sport's appeal.
However, Ridgeon acknowledged that reform is a challenging process, especially for a 150-year-old sport. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic about the future, citing the success of initiatives like the World Treadmill Championships and social media-enabled athlete platforms.
What struck me most during our conversation was Ridgeon's willingness to acknowledge the limitations of athletics in terms of mainstream appeal. He even poked fun at the absurdity of cross-promotional deals between sports, like Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua.
While I still maintain that athletics needs to do more to attract casual fans, I must concede that World Athletics is taking steps in the right direction. Ridgeon's optimism and commitment to innovation are encouraging signs for the future of the sport.
As our discussion came to a close, I couldn't help but agree with Ridgeon on one thing: we should be pushing the boundaries of what athletics can achieve. With the right approach, who knows? Perhaps one day athletics will join the likes of Formula One in breaking into the mainstream sports landscape.
. i mean, jon ridgeon's got a point. income's increased by 25% and global events r getting more popular. social media's making it easier for athletes to connect w/ fans & share their stories in a more relatable way. but yeah, reform can be tough, especially after 150 yrs of doing things the same way 
. jon's right that pushing boundaries is key. who knows, maybe athletix'll join formula one or something 
... wouldn't that be lit? 
and those social media content ideas are straight fire! drone footage of athletes in action would be sick 
i feel like he's one of the few people who can actually speak truth to power without being too serious about it
5-6 major events per year isn't exactly going to make your head spin either 
but hey, that extra $10m in revenue could still make a difference for the individual athletes and governing bodies 
those drone shots are pretty mesmerizing, no doubt 
the key takeaway is that innovative storytelling techniques work, even if it's not a traditional sports narrative 
here's a stat: since 2018, global Instagram engagement for track and field events has increased by 43% 
did you know that 75% of millennials (born between 1981-1996) don't identify as "sports fans" in the classical sense? 
. I gotta respect that about him. He's all about growth and change, which is what this sport needs. Those 25% income increases are huge! 
. Maybe one day athletics will break into the mainstream, who knows? 
️
so World Athletics is trying to get more popular and they're finally doing some stuff about it... but still not good enough 
all that drone footage is cool and all, but are we gonna see more interactive vids? less ads? 
and what's with the cross-promo deals? 
but for real though, it's nice to see ridgeon being open about the sport's limitations. maybe they can learn from other sports and do something new 
just saying...
. Seriously though, his responses did make some good points - like how World Athletics has seen some real growth and innovation in recent years 
, and I can see why Ridgeon would be excited about the social media content and athlete platforms he's talking about 
.
. That takes guts, you know? And I think it's a good sign for the sport's future 
. Like, who wouldn't want to see athletics become more like Formula One in terms of being a major player in the sports world 
? So yeah, I'm definitely feeling optimistic about where World Athletics is headed 
.
. The data on emotional responses during events is actually pretty interesting 
But seriously, it's good to see him owning up to the criticism and talking about the growth of athletics. 25% increase in income over three years? That's some serious progress 
. And I love how he poked fun at himself and the absurdity of some sports deals.
.
! That drone footage of Noah Lyles' 100m dash is giving me LIFE 
And can we talk about Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua? 
. Seriously though, I think World Athletics has some solid strategies in place to attract new fans, especially with the rise of social media influencers and interactive events. The Tokyo championships were straight fire 
! Like, I gotta give it up for him tho... he's not afraid to speak his mind & acknowledge the struggles of athletics in terms of attractin casual fans 
. And let's be real, 25% increase in income over 3 yrs is NO Joke 
. So yeah, while I still think athletics can do more, I'm here for World Athletics' efforts to shake things up 
! Maybe one day they'll join the mainstream sports fam 
. I mean, your column did sound a bit scathing, and it's understandable that he'd want to defend his org's efforts. But at the same time, I think Ridgeon handled the situation pretty cool 
. He could've gotten all defensive, but instead he chose to engage in a constructive convo, which is super classy 
.
! And I love that they're analyzing fan reactions – it's all about understanding what makes people tick, right?
. Overall, it's great to see Jon Ridgeon being open about the challenges and acknowledging areas where they can improve 
i mean, it's not just about throwing money at problems, but also trying to engage with a younger audience who are already glued to their screens. and honestly, it's hard to deny the success of events like the world treadmill championships 
they're helping to show that athletics isn't just for die-hard fans anymore. i'm still skeptical about the sport's mainstream appeal tho 
we should've been doing this stuff 10 years ago 
and i can respect that 
