- See The Best #BeTheNext slogan aims to inspire the next generation to follow in the footsteps of athletes, officials and volunteers
- In a Championships first, Usain Bolt’s trademark ‘Lightning Bolt’ pose will follow #BeTheNext as an emoji on Twitter from today and Sir Mo Farah’s trademark ‘Mobot’ will also be activated by #MoFarah
- Free Championships app will enable spectators and fans to customise their experience by following their favourite nation or event
- More than 660,000 tickets sold and more than a quarter of a million athletics fans set for opening weekend
With two days to go until the opening of the IAAF World Championships London 2017, organisers have revealed the official digital toolkit for spectators and fans to use as they watch the action unfold live in the stadium or at home.
Over 2,000 athletes from 200 countries are set to descend on the London Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the capital from 4-13 August for the biggest event in the world this year.
Whether watching live from the Stadium or at home, spectators and fans around the world are encouraged to share their experiences by using #BeTheNext and by downloading the official Championships app for free.
In addition, in a Championships first and to commemorate Usain Bolt’s farewell from the track, an emoji of the Jamaican’s trademark ‘Lightning Bolt’ pose will follow #BeTheNext on Twitter from today.
Similar to Bolt, Sir Mo Farah will also compete on the track at a major championships for the last time in London and will too have his own event emoji with his famous ‘Mobot’ being activated on Twitter from today by #MoFarah.
More than 660,000 tickets have been sold for the Championships, which will kick off with a bumper opening weekend comprising of a quarter of a million spectators set to flock to the London Stadium over the Friday, Saturday and Sunday sessions.
See The Best #BeTheNext
#BeTheNext forms part of the Championships slogan See The Best #BeTheNext. The IAAF World Championships London 2017 will offer the chance to See The Best athletes, coaches and officials in action – in some cases for the very last time.
#BeTheNext hopes to inspire the next generation to follow in their footsteps, so whether it’s training to #BeTheNext Usain Bolt, signing up to #BeTheNext volunteer or dusting off your trainers to #BeTheNext weekend fun runner, organisers hope seeing the best can inspire the next members of the athletics family.
Athletes past and present, including Sir Mo Farah, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Colin Jackson, Jonathan Edwards, Adam Gemili and Lorraine Ugen, have all come together to throw their support behind #BeTheNext with a special video here.
Usain Bolt and Mo Farah Emojis
Usain Bolt will bid farewell to the track at the Championships and organisers are further commemorating the Jamaican’s send off. Having already offered a special £9.58 children’s tickets based on his 100m world record, of which 80,000 have been bought, Bolt’s trademark ‘Lightning Bolt’ pose will take the shape of an emoji and will follow every use of #BeTheNext on Twitter from today.
Sir Mo Farah, Britain’s greatest ever track and field athlete, will have his own farewell party as he competes on the track at a major championships for the last time. Sir Mo also has a special event emoji launching today on Twitter.
Using #MoFarah will activate his famous ‘Mobot’ in emoji form, with Sir Mo set to compete on the opening night at the London Stadium in the 10,000m final and seek to retain his World Championship title.
These are two of three special emojis made available during the Championships, the third being an athletics track which will be added to all tweets using #London2017 from today as well.
The Championships App
In a Championships first, organisers have released an official app to enhance the experience for fans, whether watching live in the London Stadium or elsewhere at home across the globe.
The key feature of the free app is its customisation which allows fans to sign up for medal notifications from their favourite nation or event as soon as they happen. Users can also stay up to date with Championships news, follow results live and access the event schedule.
The app can be downloaded for iOS here and for Android here and supplements the already existing official Championships Twitter account @IAAFWorldChamps and website http://www.iaafworldchampionships.com/.
The IAAF World Championships London 2017 is the biggest event to be staged at the London Stadium since the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games with 2,000 athletes from 200 nations set to compete across 14 sessions in the London Stadium as well as among London’s most iconic landmarks for the marathon and race walks. Tickets are still available at: https://tickets.london2017athletics.com/.