Human achievement, and wonder it inspires, is at heart of World Athletics Championships

When you're in the sports media business, every once in awhile you feel compelled to reveal that you are a fan of a certain sport.  

Not an aficionado, or a maven, an insider, or even a well- informed expert. Instead we're talking about something much less subtle. This is about being a wildly, passionate, over-the-moon fan.  

When it comes to athletics, or as many of us in this part of the world refer to it, track and field, this is such an occasion. A major championship gathering in athletics constitutes that wonderful time when the fan in me can't help but come out of hiding.  

I've been to a bunch of these summits in places as far flung as South Korea, China, Qatar, India, Malaysia, Australia, Scotland, Canada, and the United States. 

They have all been incredible.  

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It's more than a bit like attending a three-ring circus. So much is going on all at once. Don't blink or you'll miss something great. There's stuff flying through the air, people scorching a track, hurling themselves over impossible heights. 

There are crashes, botched exchanges, super-human efforts, screams of exultation, and cries of utter dismay. There are falls, crashes, collapses, bitter rivalries, and endearing camaraderie. No helmets, no pads, no stoppage time, or commercial breaks. 

It's all happening, and it's happening all the time.

There's a pretty basic premise which governs athletics really. People from around the globe, of every shape and size, are trying to do fundamental things we can all relate to or a least understand. Athletics, as a sport, is at the foundation of human movement and the goals are universally accepted.   

Go faster. Jump higher. Throw longer.