Alright, I’ve had about a week to recover now, so I might as well discuss my experience in Birmingham
I don’t really have much to compare it against other than a two day excursion to the 2015 Special Olympics World Games, but I was pleased with my experience in the “Magic City.” I managed to see 20 different sports/disciplines in ten days, which was as exhausting as it sounds. I became well acquainted with the area surrounding the convention center, football stadium, city hall, etc. A lot of that area had been remodeled/revamped ahead of the event, so it was quite nice. Security was very, very tight as well. There were roadblocks around many of the venues, armed officers, and the occasional K9 (dog) unit. I had a SWAT vehicle causally roll by me on more than one occasion, which was a surreal experience. Transportation was a bit of nightmare due to the roadblocks and various different shuttle systems. Nonetheless, I was able to get where I needed to go throughout the Games, even if that meant planning ahead or exercising some patience. The weather was honestly the most challenging environmental factor. It was crazy humid and crazy hot for a lot of the Games. Not to mention the occasional thunderstorm to keep everyone on their toes. Locals were friendly and generally aware of the Games. Attendance at the venues was good, perhaps a bit sparse for preliminaries, but much nearer capacity for finals.
There were some organizational and/or logical issues that I encountered or heard about from time to time. For instance, some of the venues didn’t have wifi available to media, or didn’t do enough to explain how media members could get it. There were some network issues that affected streaming and the results system. Another, more media specific problem, was a lack of clearly marked mixed zones or interview areas, which led to some clashes/disagreements between the host broadcaster and other members of the press. Otherwise, things were mostly as they should be.
Thankfully, my flights were not held up by Prince Albert like @Sindo in Oran, so I managed to avoid that travel related headache
Overall, I’d say my experience was positive. It wasn’t without issues, complications, or unnecessary stress, but there were good memories made and great competitions to be watched. I’d be happy to write more about my experience if anyone has any questions they’d like answered about what it was like on the ground at The World Games 2022.