February saw the British Indoor Athletics Championships take place in Birmingham. Not only were National titles up for grabs, but the two-day event also offered athletes a chance to secure their places on the British team for the European Championships, due to take place in Turkey in March.
Thanks to the support of British Athletics members of the BCOMS North Masterclass Programme were able to cover the Championships. Roles included: Flash Quote Reporter, Photographer, Mixed Zone Reporter and Social Media Producer.
Flash Quote Reporters were required to speak to athletes immediately after their event to obtain answers which British Athletics could then distribute to a wide range of media outlets.
Faith Oluwaremi said “Although I have never done Flash Quote Reporting before, the British Athletics team were really accommodating and showed me the ropes. It was a pleasure to get to interview some British Champions and experience such a well planned event”.
Photographers were able to capture images whilst stood just inches away from the action.
Aleida Hammond felt it was a “fantastic experience” and particularly enjoyed meeting “other photographers with different levels of experience, and being able to learn from them. Everyone was so friendly and helpful”.
Elle Calderbank spent time in the Mixed Zone, working alongside a Camera Operator, to record interviews with some of the British Champions who had been successful in securing international selection.
Elle said “It was an amazing opportunity to interview athletes such as Reece Prescod and Jazmin Sawyers. This experience has given me the confidence to broaden my journalism skills and attend more sporting events in the future where I can look to carry out the same role.” In addition to this Elle also discovered “You don’t have to be an expert in a particular sport, having knowledge of one is transferrable across many, and this shouldn’t hold you back”.
Stewart Luunga took charge of the BCOMS Instagram and TikTok social media platforms during the event. Despite initial reservations about not having an in-depth knowledge of athletics, Stewart embraced the “new challenge” and found it to be a “Great learning experience”.
Thanks once again to British Athletics for facilitating such an invaluable experience, in particular the time and support provided by their Media and Communications Lead, Gareth Burrell.
