World Athletics added a career and media education program around the 2026 World U20 Championships in Oregon, extending athlete development beyond competition at Hayward Field.

Athletes Connect runs from Aug. 3 through Aug. 10 at the University of Oregon, covering the days before and during the championships. Its core program consists of four workshop sessions across Aug. 3 and Aug. 4, plus a separate athlete zone in Bean Hall.

Two sessions titled Your Athlete Journey focus on balancing education with sport, building a support network and planning for life after competition. Christian Taylor, Ashton Eaton and Ato Boldon were named as speakers for that track.

Graphic shows Athletes Connect running Aug. 3 to 10 with four sessions on career development and athlete image plus an athlete zone at Bean Hall.
Athletes Connect surrounds the Oregon 26 competition with workshops and a separate athlete zone.Boho News graphic from World AthleticsView source

Two more sessions, Your Image, Your Power, cover media work, social platforms and using public visibility responsibly. Commentator Rob Walker and a major social-media platform were listed for those discussions.

Valerie Adams, the two-time Olympic shot put champion who now chairs the World Athletics Athletes’ Commission, was named to present the workshops. Her own progression from youth and U20 titles to a long senior career matches the program’s intended bridge.

The Bean Hall athlete zone adds educational games, printed materials and spaces for photography and video. World Athletics says professional content creators can help athletes produce material and provide guidance on posting and messaging.

Graphic says more than 1,500 visits at Lima 2024 covered health, safeguarding, social media, representatives and rules.
World Athletics says the 2024 athlete zone drew more than 1,500 visits across five education areas.Boho News graphic from World AthleticsView source

The concept builds on earlier zones in Lima and Tokyo. More than 1,500 visits were recorded at the 2024 World U20 Championships in Lima across subjects including health and science, safeguarding, social media, athlete representatives and competition rules.

That number measures visits, not unique athletes or long-term outcomes. It shows demand for the space but does not establish that a workshop produces better contracts, safer representation or a longer career.

The initiative is nevertheless a notable addition to a global age-group meet. Many competitors are encountering international media, agents and sponsorship interest for the first time; Oregon 26 is treating those off-track decisions as part of athlete preparation rather than leaving them entirely outside the championship.