Published September 7, 2017 05:45PM

Race preparation is in full swing in Chattanooga, with 4,500 athletes getting ready to take on this weekend’s Ironman 70.3 World Championships. Thursday featured a chance to swim on course, the parade of nations, athlete meetings and the professional press conference—where the top contenders get a chance to speak ahead of the race and size up the competition. Read a few highlights from the press conference above.