In the bowels of the 02 Arena, it's a whole new world. There are tears, there are smiles, there is lot of heavy breathing, there is anger, there is delight - and above all, there are a great deal of questions.
Welcome to the mixed zone.
This is the frenetic, frantic area where athletes pass through moments after their events and 'mix' with the media, firstly television, then radio, and then the written journalists, all in desperate need of a word, a reaction, as deadline looms.
Different media from different countries gather in their own groups and this is one of the great fascinations of an area which was packed on the first morning of these 33rd European Athletics Indoor Championships in Prague.
After the men's 400m, the hacks from the Czech Republic were eagerly anticipating the arrival of Pavel Maslak who had eased into the semi-finals of the 400m where he is the defending champion.
They were six deep as they waited for him to come through for a chat about his heat where he had sailed through untroubled in 47.23.
It was not long until the waiting was over, as out came the dictaphones, microphones, along with a series of other recording devices, as the quick-fire questions flew in for one of the biggest names of the championships, even if he was still getting his breath back.
But it was not all about Maslak, because in a different part of the room, another athlete from the same race was being asked for their views. A headline maker in one country may not be in another.
So, just what is it like from an athletes' point of view?
Jenny Meadows, of Great Britain, is Europe's No. 1 in the 800m, an event where she was European Indoor champion in 2011. She could not remember how many mixed zones she has been through during her illustrious career but she revealed they work to her advantage.
Meadows said: 'When you have run well, it is really nice. The worst is when you are really disappointed in yourself and you underperform. You don’t really have a chance to gather your own emotions and you think 'oh no!'. It is kind of like going to the head master’s office!”
'But I find it a good process because I will go to Trevor (her husband and coach) and I have got some good, collective thoughts from the conversations with the media guys. It does put things into perspective.'
Not all would have been as happy as Meadows on Friday. Some would have been upset with their run or jump and would not want to talk. Some choose not to even speak, even if they have progressed, because they remain in their own zone, even if they are in the mixed zone.
But there is no escaping going through it, and there is nothing quite like it in sport.
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