
World Triathlon Hamburg 2020: Producing an event in the COVID-19 era By SVG Staff
Monday, September 21, 2020 - 10:21
Print This Story
World Triathlon's yearly Triathlon series, held in seven different countries across multiple races, has seen its 2020 season greatly impacted due to Covid-19: all races were cancelled, except for the Hamburg event, the 2020 World Triathlon World Championships and the 2020 Mixed Relay World Championships that were held on 5-6 September 2020.
Infront Productions, broadcast partner of organising authority World Triathlon and host broadcaster of the Hamburg races, therefore had to reorganise several key aspects of the coverage to be able to uphold the new sanitary standards and guarantee the safety of athletes and crew.
Ultimately, we can't let these COVID-related restrictions hamper our coverage. Our work is to make sure we turn this situation into a positive and find solutions to allow fans to enjoy the return of sports on their screens.
For World Triathlon it was of paramount importance to have our first event after the pandemic being broadcast with the same excellent quality as always, even considering the challenging circumstances faced in Hamburg. And it was a great pleasure, and an absolute success to see that all the efforts we have made were worth it, said World Triathlon president and IOC member Marisol Casado.
The production team, both from Infront Productions and World Triathlon, on-site was flexible and creative, finding solutions to last-minute issues. We managed to show the world that the sports community is prepared for the so-called new normality' and events can happen on a safe and healthy mode, but still showing the athletes compete at their best. It was one of the best TV productions we've ever made.
Practical Impact
The production of the 2020 World Triathlon Hamburg races was impacted practically as the event was moved from its traditional location in the centre of the city to the fenced-off and controlled environment of the Hamburg Stadtpark. This decision was taken to ensure that COVID-related restrictions were abided by, with only athletes and working personnel (including the TV production team) present in the surroundings. No spectators were allowed in the cordoned off sections of the park.
In terms of on-site organisation, camera operators and staff were following social distancing measures put in place, such as wearing the mandatory mask at all times and using plexiglass within the OB van to proof all the positions, explained Julien Bertin, head of Infront Productions France and project manager for the event.
When it came to interacting with the race's participants, the production team also amended their usual procedures to make sure social distancing was implemented. Interviews of the athletes were done using a boom from a distance, to ensure the participants' safety, he added.
Editorial Impact
The practical changes also impacted the coverage of the event from an editorial point of view, with several key modifications made to ensure the quality and variety of the production were upheld despite sanitary restrictions.
Due to the change of location, using a traditional coverage set-up with a helicopter providing an aerial perspective was not possible, as the Hamburg Stadtpark is a densely wooded area.
We chose to use a live drone to replace the helicopter views, which allowed the production crew to film the start, the transition and the finish line, thus enriching the race coverage with these aerial shots, explained Bertin.
The production relied on coverage from motorbikes and fixed cameras along the race course to ensure the narrative of the competition was conveyed (gaps between groups, trailing, dropping or resurgent athletes).
The lack of spectators, as well as the absence of Hamburg downtown shots also meant that the focus of the coverage was fully on the race. In order to maintain a certain level of variety and heighten the storytelling, the production supplemented shots of the race with the insertion of more graphics and replays.
We added graphics to keep the viewer abreast of constant gaps, identifying groups and the performances of athletes, reflected Bertin.
The insertion of replay sequences of key race facts was also used in order to consistently recap what was happening to make sure that the audience could follow the race situation at any time.
Commentators had a key role to play to compensate the lack of Hamburg sights and fans shots to bring the audience even closer to the action, and they elaborated the focus on the routine the athletes observed in lockdown, or how they trained. They also shared a positive message, marking the return of sports and sports competition.
Ultimately, we can't let these COVID-related restrictions hamper our coverage. Our work is to make sure we turn this situation into a positive and find solutions to allow fans to enjoy the return of sports on their screens, concluded Bertin.
The 2020 World Triathlon World Championships and the 2020 Mixed Relay World Championships took place in Hamburg on 5-6 September 2020.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
25/08/2026
Open, Sustainable, Predictable: What Utah Scientific Is Bringing to IBC 2026 As broadcast leaders prepare to gather at the RAI Amsterdam for IBC 2026, the main ...
25/08/2026
NC State's Matthew Byrd breaks down how an IP-based infrastructure is delivering greater flexibility and scalability for Wolfpack productions...
25/08/2026
Deal expands the DTC reach in-market of Capitals, Wizards, Mystics games and oth...
25/08/2026
The two-year renovation period will create a stadium of the future for the NFL f...
25/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
25/08/2026
Shell Energy Stadium in Houston has installed a new L-Acoustics A Series loudspeaker system, designed and installed by LD Systems, a Clair Global brand. The 20,...
25/08/2026
FloCollege is expanding its distribution and product offerings for the 2026-27 season, covering more than 20 NCAA partner conferences across Division I, II, and...
25/08/2026
TNA Wrestling and REVOLT have announced a content partnership bringing exclusive TNA Xplosion matches and content from TNA's library to REVOLT.
Our indust...
25/08/2026
Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, has released its Q3 2026 Data Hub analysis showing that FAST sports programming is growing at more than ...
25/08/2026
Amagi has appointed Thomas d'H rouville as Head of Sales for France, Benelux, and Nordics. Based in Paris, he will lead Amagi's growth strategy across t...
25/08/2026
IPC has appointed CCATech as its channel partner in Brazil, expanding the company's presence in Latin America. CCATech was founded in 2023 by Carlos Abrah o...
25/08/2026
FanConnect has announced the FC4, a multi-output media player designed to drive mid-sized video walls, multi-screen concession stands, and multi-display digital...
25/08/2026
JWX has launched JWX Content Hub, a platform for publisher video that combines content transformation, social distribution, audience engagement, and monetizatio...
25/08/2026
Techex has appointed Stuart Almond as Chief Revenue Officer. Almond brings more than 25 years of experience across technology, media, and telecommunications, ha...
25/08/2026
Grass Valley will demonstrate infrastructure connecting SDI, SMPTE ST 2110, MXL, and software-based processing at IBC2026 (Booth 9.A01, RAI Amsterdam, September...
25/08/2026
Franchises are taking greater ownership of production, distribution, and the fan...
25/08/2026
The first-year circuit for former professional athletes leans on LiveU, Starlink...
25/08/2026
Announcing the 2026 Sundance Institute Breakthrough | Focus Features Fellows
L...
25/08/2026
Auction Part 3 running until 9 September 2026
Soundgas have announced that the latest stage of their John Paul Jones Gear Auction is now live, and that bids...
25/08/2026
Over 60 award-winning artists, songwriters, producers, engineers
The MONO Music Conference (formerly Music Expo SF), San Francisco's premier event for m...
25/08/2026
All three versions receive firmware upgrade
Groove Synthesis have just launched a free firmware update that kits the 3rd Wave out with two major new feature...
25/08/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
25/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
25/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
25/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
25/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
25/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
25/08/2026
Lingopal, the AI-powered live translation and localization specialist, is unveiling new platform capabilities at IBC2026 (11 14 September, RAI Amsterdam), helpi...
25/08/2026
Bminty is supporting TV5MONDE in the evolution of its editorial processes through a new AI-assisted press information generation solution. Combining the Louise ...
25/08/2026
Two Cultures. Millions Reached. One Berklee Connection. Meet Annie Dickinson and Zhengxi Zhang-the couple who turned their creative partnership into music car...
25/08/2026
Amagi, the media industry cloud platform for unified broadcast, streaming, and monetization, today announced that Law&Crime has migrated its Court TV channel, s...
25/08/2026
Broadcast Solutions, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast and media industry, is showcasing the breadth of its ca...
25/08/2026
Thatcham, UK 25 August 2026: Test & measurement innovator, Leader Electronics, has announced that leading broadcast rental company Minitech has purchased a Le...
25/08/2026
Appear's X20 Platform enables visually lossless video contribution with sub-frame latency and full path redundancy for TVTEL's centralised VAR operation...
25/08/2026
World-first demonstration combines 5G Broadcast and Media over QUIC for seamless, ultra-low-latency hybrid media delivery
Big Blue Marble will showcase new dev...
25/08/2026
MNC Software, a global leader in network management and operational support systems tailored to the broadcast and media industry, will showcase its complete sof...
25/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
25/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
25/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
25/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
25/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
25/08/2026
Company to Demonstrate Practical AI Applications That Add Value Today and Longer-Term Path Toward Agentic AI
At IBC2026 (Sept. 11 14, RAI Amsterdam, Stand #1.B...
25/08/2026
Serving South Florida with a unique blend of jazz, Latin jazz, salsa, reggae, blues, and culturally reflective programming, WDNA 88.9FM operates as both a tradi...
25/08/2026
GlobalM announced that it is integrating its GMX software-defined media platform with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), bringing together Oracle's global c...
25/08/2026
Siena Kelly, Connor Swindells and Sophie Wilde join Boyle in the eight-part series from Working Title Television and Story Films, directed by Emmy and BAFTA nom...
25/08/2026
The critically acclaimed thriller will return to Sky in NovemberTuesday 25 Augus...
25/08/2026
Wuppertal August 25, 2026
Scottish Rugby Expands Managed Coach Communications Partnership With RiedelRiedel Communications today announced the continued expan...