“If you had to choose an animal that could jump really far, what would you be?”
Two-time Olympic and four-time world champion Christian Taylor had to laugh when Shuga Shimazaki, a student from a local Tokyo school, asked him the question during a kids’ press conference in the Japan National Stadium on Friday (19).
But if we learnt one new thing, it’s that the former triple jumper, who is serving as an ambassador for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, would like to be a kangaroo – much to the delight of his ambassador counterpart, the Australian former hurdler Sally Pearson.
The eyes of 20 12-year-old students lit up as they entered the official press conference room at the World Championships. They were offered the chance to ask questions to not only Taylor and Pearson, but also one of their local heroes: Japan’s 110m hurdler Rachid Muratake. It took them a while to overcome their shyness.
“How did it feel to win the gold medal at the Olympics?”
“What sports did you like as a child?”
“How do you deal with nervousness?”
The room was filled with the curiosity of the children, diligently asking questions, and the laughter of the athletes, patiently answering all of them.
The kids’ press conference during the WCH Tokyo 25 (© World Athletics 
Anastasia Karekla)
“The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy what you’re doing, because if you’re not enjoying it, it’s going to be very hard work to excel in sport,” said Pearson, the Olympic and two-time world 100m hurdles gold medallist.
Taylor agreed, encouraging the children to “dream big regardless of what people say”. The Olympic legend added: “If you have a dream, you must go for it.”
Following big dreams can be a daunting task, but Muratake shared advice from his own experience. “When I focus on not getting nervous, I just get more nervous,” he said. “So I try to savour the tension and nervousness and enjoy the process.”
Encouraging the children to try athletics, especially the triple jump, Taylor couldn’t resist their plea to demonstrate the discipline in the press conference room.
“If I had to choose a superpower, it would be the ability to fly, and I feel like the triple jump is the closest we can get to that,” he explained, sharing his reason for choosing the discipline as the kids excitedly started jumping around.
As photos were taken and shirts were signed, the students moved on to their next activity, a tour of the historic stadium. The athletics trio waved them off, perhaps reminiscing about when they were 12 years of age, just starting the sport, unaware of the promising journey that lay ahead.
“I am sure I wouldn’t have dared to ask these questions when I was their age,” Taylor laughed. “They were so brave and curious, it was great fun to have them around.”
For the US star, the main benefit of a kids’ press conference like this is to “connect with people, make us more relatable, and give youngsters a great experience”.
The press conference formed part of a series of initiatives organised by World Athletics and the local organising committee in Tokyo, together with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Japan Association of Athletics Federations, focusing on the legacy of WCH Tokyo 25 for children and future generations.
The programme kicked off with a school visit by Botswana’s Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo, who led a Kids’ Athletics relay activation ahead of the championships.
Annika Saunus for World Athletics
Produced as part of the World Athletics Media Academy project