Athlos NYC just concluded a few days ago, but its impact still remains strong. Creating history as the first-ever all-women track and field event, the Alexis Ohanian-owned show turned out to be a banger. Famous athletes like Faith Kipyegon, Gabby Thomas, and more graced the occasion to mark the beginning of what could be a revolution. The tech mogul Alexis Ohanian already announced the event amidst the Paris Olympics this year. Making the event none like before, Ohanian had some exclusive features. 

One of the biggest problems that Athlos aimed to solve was the underpayment issue for female athletes. With a groundbreaking prize purse of $500,000, Athlos was bound to be successful. The winners looked elated as they took home $60,000 cash, which is surely the biggest ever till now in any women-exclusive track event. But money is not the only attractive feature that Ohanian added. He also provided a translator to bridge the language gap during athletes’ interviews. Now, that’s what you call a premium event. 

Athlos NYC intrigues with innovative addition

Most of the track and field events do not have a translator during the athlete’s interview. This makes it quite difficult to interact, and fans often miss out on what exactly their favorite athletes are saying. But Alexis Ohanian seems to have his attention to the minutest of details. He added a translator that made interacting with the athletes utterly fluid. Praising the initiative, an X account by the name ‘realtalkwithtee’ narrated her experience of interviewing Marileidy Paulino. 

The Dominican Republic athlete and the reigning 400m Olympic champion once again wove her magic in New York City. After delivering a thumping performance to seal the deal at the Brussels Diamond League, the undefeated champion looked to end her season on a high. Running in her last race of the year, Paulino won yet again, clocking an impressive 49.59s. And thanks to Athlos, the X user was able to interview the icon for the first time. Expressing her elation, the user wrote, “@athlos really payed attention to all the details and a translator was available, THANK YOU.”

Well, there is a reason why Athlos is looking at an almost perfect setup right from its inception. After all, it is designed by a father to secure his daughter’s future. Ohanian’s daughter, Olympia, wanted to pursue sports. However, tennis legend Serena Williams pointed out the low pay for female athletes and insisted that Olympia must only venture into athletics if the pay gets better. This rang a bell in Ohanian’s mind, and he swiftly designed an all-women event. He envisions that the Athlos will become a big deal in the future and will encourage more females to take up sports without having to worry about money. Meanwhile, despite the fancy additions, fans are divided on the Athlos saga. 

Fans give mixed reactions to the translator feature in Athlos

Pleasing the fans is one of the most difficult tasks. Likewise, despite being overly successful, the fans are still not fully convinced. Giving a mixed reaction, the netizens flocked to the comment section to voice out their opinions. 

One fan seemed dissatisfied with the fact that the interviewer was not directly asking the question or conversing with the athlete herself. They suggested that while the translator feature at Alexis Ohanian’s Athlos was helpful, the fan prefers interviews to focus directly on the athletes, not through the translator. “With all due respect, could we interview and address the questions to the athlete & not the translator,”  wrote the commenter. 

The concern probably stems from the desire for more personal, unmediated interaction with athletes. Track enthusiasts have always connected with the growth and winning of their favorite athletes. As they cheer for the stars, they often want to listen to their perspectives. And that might have convinced the fans to share their opinion.

Another fan expressed disappointment about not seeing the translator during Marileidy Paulino’s win. The fan commented, “Oh, I didn’t see the translator on stage and gave u a big thumbs down.  We knew that there was 99% chance Paulino would win.” The fan criticized the authority and organizers for not showcasing the translator as prominently as anticipated, even though Paulino was the clear favorite to win.

After the dominating and fierce form of Paulino at the 2023 Worlds and Tokyo Olympics and her golden performance in Paris, track fans were pretty much convinced of the fact that it would be Paulino who would secure the huge prize money from Alexis Ohanian. Her endless accolades and achievements truly make her one of the favorites. And we all know that’s justifiable. But the fact that there was no translator present with the main interviewer of the event infuriated the fan because who wouldn’t want to hear the winner’s words after a jaw-dropping showdown!

While the main interviewer for the event performed well, one fan personally believed that another person, likely more energetic and fitting for Athlos’ atmosphere, would have done better. The fan hinted at the woman who interviewed Marileidy Paulino and mentioned that her energy resonated with the spirit of the athletic meet. “No disrespect to the lady that interviewed the winners on stage, but I honestly felt like you and your energy would’ve been a much better fit. Especially for that type of event. Maybe at the next one 🤞🏾”, added the netizen in the comment section of the X post.

The enthusiasm of the interviewer in the video does speak volumes to justify the opinion of the fan. After rooting and cheering for the athletes, fans truly can’t wait to express the joy they feel from within when their favorites secure a victory. So, it is understandable why fans resonated with the interviewer’s actions in the video.

One fan appreciated Athlos NYC’s inclusion of a translator during athlete interviews. The commenter mentioned, “I’m really happy for the athletes . Imagine how special she felt that they finally had a translator for her.”

The initiative of bridging language barriers made a positive impact on both athletes and fans. Given that most events lack this feature, the fan felt that the translator made the Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino feel valued and understood, enhancing her experience. 

One user praised the detailed planning of Athlos NYC, specifically highlighting how features like providing a translator for athletes’ interviews enhance the event’s success. “The attention to details is what will help meets be successful. Well done @ATHLOS,” read the comment. 

In the context of underpayment issues and language barriers, Athlos’ innovative additions, such as the translator, truly throw light on Alexis Ohanian’s commitment to elevating the experience for both athletes and fans. Thus, with a host of additional features making Athlos unique, it remains to be seen how well the event will be received by the fans in the future.