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Spain&rsquo;s Oscar Husillos famously was the first man across the line in the 2018 World Athletics Indoor Championships 400m final, clocking what would have been a European indoor record of 44.92 only to be later disqualified for a lane infringement.
Three years later, almost to the day, Hussillos finally got some consolation for that disappointment in Birmingham and climbed to the top of the podium at a major international championships when he took the 2021 European indoor title over two laps of the track in the Polish city of Torun. In an interview with the Spanish federation website (<a href="https://www.rfea.es/web/noticias/desarrollo.asp?codigo=13249#.YFysIK9KhPY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the original in Spanish can be read here</a>, and an edited version is published below), Husillos talked about his win in Torun and making the Spanish 400m record his own this coming summer. 
Congratulations on your first 'official' international title. Would you say this win puts behind you the pain of what happened in Birmingham in 2018?
What happened during the 2018 indoor season is difficult to forget. The European title went a long way to healing the scars of what happened in the world indoor championships final&hellip;. but all of this is part of sport and of an athlete's life, there are good and bad moments, and whether or not what happened in Birmingham was absurd is part of that.
To what extent would you say that you have now overcome what happened in Birmingham psychologically? 
I've never had moments of despair as such. It is more related to how I feel and my training marks. I write down all the training sessions that I do and when I look at the ones I did in that year (in 2018) well, I feel bad. But I think that sooner or later I will be back to that level and that I can run that way again.
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In the Torun heats, it was only the first two in each heat that went forward to the semi-finals. What do you think about this system and not having a fastest non-automatic qualifiers? It was a novelty that only athletes with a big Q and not a little q progressed. When we were talking between the coaches and the (Spanish) athletes beforehand, we said that there would be no problem; that it was not necessary to worry about it as we believed all three of us (Husillos, Lucas Bua and Samuel Garcia) would get through and we believed that none of us would have any problem ... but when you see your teammates with marks of 46.9 and 47.0 being left out of the next round, and other athletes have got through with 47.5, it feels a little unfair because it&rsquo;s now obvious that some first round races were more difficult than others.
In the semi-finals, you had to face Pavel Maslak (CZE), Tony van Diepen (NED), and Vladimir Aceti (ITA). Maslak had just beaten you in Madrid and Van Diepen was the bronze medallist from Glasgow 2019 so how did you deal with it?
I saw the draw and talked about it (with the coaches). We knew it was the toughest semi of the three, with four of the top seven in Europe this year. But the issue remained the same; it is a European championship and nobody is going to make it easy for you. The only thing that changed was the strategy, the plan was to win the race in a fast time to get a better lane in the final (although Husillos actually finished second in his semi and won in the final from lane four).
In the final you went out at an what might have been a suicidal pace pace, and passed the 200m at 21.32. What was your thinking behind that? 
Suicidal start? It's possible that it might have turned out that way but I thought out my strategy and decided that I should be the fastest (over the first 300 metres) and I knew that if I took the inside lane and managed to hold it until the last 50 or 60 metres, then it would be difficult for the others to overtake me because I would have a clear run to the line and everyone else would have to come around me. In short: the plan I made with my coach (Luis Angel Caballero) turned out perfectly!
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Your 200m split of 21.32 in Torun was very close to what you did in the semifinals and final in Birmingham (21.30 and 21.26) and was faster than Karsten Warholm (21.35) when equalled the European indoor record with 45.05 to win in Glasgow. What does that data tell you?
In truth, this data tell me little because I know that I was not in good shape as I was in 2018 or as Warholm was in 2019. I only know that the best strategy for the race was to make a very fast first lap and then risk everything on the second lap to keep the inside lane. I also knew that I was not the athlete in the best physical shape in the final but that doesn&rsquo;t always win you championships and medals, and what I do know is how to execute a good strategy in an indoor 400.
Your personal best is 44.73 and the Spanish record is 44.69. Is this summer the moment to snatch that record from (2016 European 200m champion) Bruno Hortelano?
Of course, without any doubt. It is one of the goals of the summer and I would be lying if I told you that I am not thinking about the Spanish record. I finished just fourth-hundredths behind Bruno in that 2018 race in Moraralaz (the Madrid suburb where Hortelano set the record and Husillos got his PB), and that has been a little thorn in my side. I&rsquo;m not obsessed but I want the record, and with good preparation I see myself able to do so.

TORUN, POLAND - MARCH 06: Gold medalist Oscar Husillos of Spain celebrates following his victory in Men's 400 metres during the second session on Day 2 of European Athletics Indoor Championships at Arena Torun on March 06, 2021 in Torun, Poland. Sporting stadiums around Poland remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors.on March 06, 2021 in Torun, Poland. (Photo by Piotr Hawalej/Getty Images)

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Husillos: "I was not the athlete in the best physical shape but that doesn’t always win you championships"

Keely Hodgkinson&rsquo;s assured performance in becoming European indoor 800m champion just four days after her 19th birthday made her the youngest British winner at the championships for more than half a century.&nbsp;
Only Marilyn Neufville, who was 17 when she won the 400m at the 1970 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Vienna in a world best of 53.01, has been a younger British gold medallist.&nbsp;
But in crossing the line in 2:03.88, a last lap of 28.23 taking her comfortably clear of the very experienced Polish duo of Joanna Jozwik and Angelika Cichocka, Hodgkinson also emulated one of the achievements of her mentor, Jenny Meadows.&nbsp;
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Meadows, whose husband Trevor Painter coaches Hodgkinson, was European indoor 800m champion exactly ten years earlier in Paris, although unlike her young charge she was robbed of the full glory of that moment. She finished second on the day in 2:00.50 behind Russia&rsquo;s Yevgeniya Zinurova, who clocked 2:00.10.
A year-and-four-months later, silver turned golden for the Wigan-born athlete as Zinurova&rsquo;s performance, and that of the Russian who finished behind Meadows, Yuliya Rusanova, was discounted due to doping violations.&nbsp;
It was a richly deserved but sadly delayed moment of triumph for an athlete who had earned world bronze in Berlin two years earlier in her personal best of 1:57.93 and an upgraded European silver medal in Barcelona the year before.&nbsp;
Speaking to the BBC after her race in Berlin, Meadows commented: "It proves you should never say never, you should always believe in yourself. If you work hard and keep the faith, good things will happen.&rdquo;&nbsp;
That heart and commitment has contributed to the development of Great Britain&rsquo;s latest middle-distance winner, who earlier this year set a European indoor U20 800m record of 1:59.03.
Hodgkinson's ability to produce the goods in championship racing had been established well before Torun through her gold medal at the 2018 European Athletics U18 Championships in Gyor, Hungary followed in 2019 by bronze at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Boras, Sweden.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always thought it doesn&rsquo;t matter how old you are, as long as you&rsquo;re healthy and doing things right you can be capable of anything,&rdquo; said Hodgkinson in the wake of her Torun victory. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve just got to believe in yourself and not be intimidated by the older girls.&rdquo;&nbsp;
In the years to come Painter and Meadows believe Hodgkinson is capable of beating Kelly Holmes&rsquo;s long-standing British record of 1:56.21. But for the moment this level-headed athlete, born, like her mentor, in Wigan, is focusing on other targets.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not really looking at those expectations,&rdquo; said Hodgkinson, who started a criminology with psychology degree at Leeds Beckett University in the autumn. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just going to carry on and try and enjoy it and put myself forward with the senior girls because it&rsquo;s OK saying: &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s get to the Olympics.&rsquo;&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Reaching Tokyo is an utterly realistic target for a young woman who won the British outdoor title last year with a typically tactically astute display. She has a current outdoor best of 2:01.73 although that mark looks hugely likely to be reduced sooner rather than later.&nbsp;
Meadows confirms that the current intention is for Hodgkinson to seek to add a European U20 gold to the bronze she currently has by taking part in this year&rsquo;s edition in Tallinn, Estonia from 15-18 July &ndash; as a possible precursor for her Olympic debut in the Japanese capital.
&ldquo;We sat down at the end of last season to plan for the 2021 year and it was always the plan to peak in August, whether that be the Olympic Games or the World Junior Championships,&rdquo; Meadows told European Athletics.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;The European U20 Championships was on the plan as a championship to win and would therefore be a good stepping stone along the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;She has golds from the European U18 Championships and now European Indoors so Keely is keen to add the European U20 title too. We will see how the season progresses before we commit to finalising our targets.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Hodgkinson remarked in Torun how Painter and Meadows were happy for her to take responsibility for her own performances and to become &ldquo;her own athlete.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Meadows confirms this approach: &ldquo;We had total confidence in Keely&rsquo;s ability to handle the championships both from a physical and mental point of view.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Despite the pandemic, we had managed to fit in most aspects of training during the winter period through being quite innovative and adaptable. Luckily we have a lot of experience of being adaptable and we make sure we explain things to Keely regarding objectives of sessions and future direction so that she &lsquo;buys in&rsquo; to the plan and can be confident knowing the process she is going through.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;We knew therefore that all the training she needed had been completed going into Torun and she had all the tools she needed.&rdquo;
And these tools, plus some guidance from one of the greatest British 800m runners in history, could take her a very long way in the sport.

TORUN, POLAND - MARCH 07: Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain (R) celebrates as she crosses the finish line to win the Women's 800 metres final during the second session on Day 3 of the European Athletics Indoor Championships at Arena Torun on March 07, 2021 in Torun, Poland. Sporting stadiums around Poland remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Piotr Hawalej/Getty Images)

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After breakthrough in Torun, Hodgkinson sets sights on Tallinn and Tokyo

In the sixth and final episode of European Athletics&rsquo; mini-documentary series My Story, Germany&rsquo;s Malaika Mihambo narrates her journey from fulfilling the vast potential she displayed as a junior to becoming the reigning world and European champion in the long jump.
&ldquo;Maybe I started dreaming about being number one when I was 12 but these were just dreams,&rdquo; remembered Mihambo who took up athletics during summer school when she was a youngster
Mihambo has gone on to dominate the event in the last two seasons but the German candidly admits there were times as a younger athlete when she struggled with self-doubts and fears.
&ldquo;When I was a younger athlete, I was often struggling with myself, that I was also not believing in my potential,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Dealing with all those thoughts and getting to know myself has helped me to become a better athlete.&rdquo;
Mihambo explained how journalising, reflecting and meditating has helped her to fulfil her potential and how meditation played a key part in her winning jump at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha. After two rounds, Mihambo found herself on the cusp of elimination before producing the longest jump of her career so far with her third attempt.
On her winning third round jump, Mihambo said: &ldquo;I just started to meditate and then I just let go of everything in that moment...I was certainly quite happy with the distance of 7.30m!&rdquo;
The episode can be watched in full below.
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Mihambo: “When I was 12 I dreamt of being number one but these were just dreams”

Media accreditation is now open for the European Athletics U23 Championships (8-11 July) and for European Athletics U20 Championships (15-18 July), both taking place in Tallinn, Estonia.&nbsp;
Medical and sanitary protocol&nbsp;
European Athletics continues to proceed with a thorough risk assessment and evaluation of the situation in coordination with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the national/local authorities to ensure that the European Athletics U23 and U20 Championships in Tallinn, Estonia can take place in a safe environment.&nbsp;
A Sanitary and Medical Clearance Protocol will be in place for the Championships which can be found <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/fc1983a5-f194-45ec-b552-5ac3ab178ae3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
All accredited members of the media are kindly instructed to follow the sanitary and medical rules and procedures which will be designed to ensure the safe staging of the event. Violation of these rules and procedures may result in sanctions such as the revocation of the accreditation issued. &nbsp;
The sanitary procedures for this event may be changed in accordance with the development of the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Estonia and in whole Europe.&nbsp;
In order to ensure the safe staging of the championships, the&nbsp;number of on-site media will be reduced&nbsp;in order to comply with the prevailing health and safety protocols.&nbsp;&nbsp;
All accredited media must perform one test to detect SARS CoV2 genetic material (RT-PCR) in a nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab.&nbsp;The swab shall be collected maximum 48&nbsp;hours&nbsp;before&nbsp;arrival&nbsp;to Tallinn.&nbsp;The result must be negative, and the English analysis report will have to be uploaded into the Registration System before arrival in Tallinn.&nbsp;&nbsp;
After arrival in Tallinn, additional PCR tests will be conducted every 72 hours.&nbsp;
Please&nbsp;note&nbsp;that&nbsp;being&nbsp;vaccinated will not exempt anyone from following the measures.&nbsp;
Closer to the event media representatives will receive an e-mail asking them to upload their relevant medical information into the system. Please note these pages are&nbsp;not&nbsp;currently&nbsp;online.&nbsp;
The rules for testing may change before the event and will be communicated promptly.
For any further queries relating to the safety and sanitary rules, please e-mail event@european-athletics.org.&nbsp;&nbsp;
On-site media&nbsp;
Prospective applicants are invited to apply for media accreditation by following one of the four links below and completing the form.&nbsp;
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Accommodation&nbsp;
It is mandatory for all accredited members of the media to stay at the designated hotel - Hotel Oru.&nbsp;
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Hotel Oru&nbsp;</li>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">Narva maantee 120 Tallinn, Estonia&nbsp;</li>
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</ul>
Prices per room, per night (including breakfast, internet and taxes).&nbsp;
The deadline&nbsp;to apply for accreditation with accommodation is 25 June. After that, accommodation cannot be guaranteed.&nbsp;&nbsp;
For any cancellations made until 25 June 2021, no cancellation fee will be charged.&nbsp;
For any cancellation made as from 25 June 2021, 100% of your total accommodation cost will be charged as a cancellation fee, unless the room is resold.&nbsp;
For any enquiries on accommodation, please e-mail Kadi M&ouml;ller at kadi@ekjl.ee.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Transportation will be provided to the official hotel from the&nbsp;Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport&nbsp;
All arrival and departure times must be entered to the system at least 72 hours in advance to ensure transportation from and to the airport. No other modes of transportation are allowed due to Covid-restrictions.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
On-site transportation&nbsp;&nbsp;
Transportation will be provided on-site to/from the official venues with regular media shuttles. The timetable will be communicated in due time.&nbsp;

TALLINN, ESTONIA - JULY 12:  Nicolai Hartling of Denmark competes during the Men's 400m Hurdles on day four of the European Athletics U23 Championships at Kadriorg Stadium on July 9, 2015 in Tallinn, Estonia.  (Photo by Joosep Martinson/Getty Images)

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Media accreditation opens for European Athletics U23 and U20 Championships

An impressive eight victories saw Hungary win the European Athletics Team Championships Second League in Stara Zagora in Bulgaria, sealing promotion to the First League along with Denmark and Slovenia on Sunday (20).
The Hungarian team racked up 255 points in the overall standings after 40 events, thanks to winning all of the women&rsquo;s 100m and 400m races - both individually and in the relays - as well as the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s 800m.
Men&rsquo;s sprint success accounted for three of Denmark&rsquo;s six victories with Kojo Musah taking the first victory in the men's 100m in 10.21. Musah then ran the second leg of their 4x100m team that triumphed in 39.40 before Simon Hansen, who ran the first leg of their 4x100m team, triumphed individually the following day with victory in the 200m in a lifetime best of 20.92.
Katrine Koch Jacobsen&rsquo;s 68.38m national record topped the women&rsquo;s hammer standings and multiple European U23 champion Anna Emilie M&oslash;ller winning the steeplechase in 9:49.93 in her first competitive race since 2019.
Slovenia were promoted in spite of their five victories being one fewer than both fourth and fifth placed finishers Lithuania and Bulgaria. However, their consistency across track and field was key for the side that won the first and last events through European indoor pole vault silver medallist Tina &Scaron;utej and the men&rsquo;s 4x400m relay quartet which was anchored by former European U23 champion Luka Janezic.
Austria and Israel did not take part due to issues surrounding coronavirus and consequently were relegated down to the Third League, as were Russia, who are still banned from competing internationally.
Sprinter Justina Csoti was particularly impressive for Hungary as she set an 11.65 personal best to take maximum points shortly after compatriot Mate Koroknai&rsquo;s 50.00 run had given their country a first victory of the event in the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles.
Csoti was later part of the quartet that won the women&rsquo;s 4x100m at the end of the first day in 44.38, two tenths ahead of Denmark and 1.2 seconds ahead of Slovenia, helping to cement the positions of the top three overnight. This is ultimately the way the standings stayed throughout the second day.
European U23 long jumper silver medallist Petra Farkas came in as the top-ranked athlete and she translated that form into results. However, second-best jumps were needed to separate her from Lithuania&rsquo;s Jogaile Petrokaite, as both athletes had a furthest mark of 6.43m. Farkas&rsquo; next longest effort of 6.40 was therefore crucial to securing Hungary&rsquo;s only field victory.
On the track, Bal&aacute;zs Vindics surged for home to leave Slovakia&rsquo;s Jan Vukovic with no reply with a time of 1:47.83, while the overall champions officially sealed their promotion by the time Evelin Nadhazy had helped her Hungarian 4x400m quartet cross the line first following her 52.85 one-lap win which was shared with Agnė &Scaron;erk&scaron;nienė as the pair ran the same time down to the thousandth of a second.
There was no need for Lithuania to share victory in the women&rsquo;s high jump though. The 2017 European indoor champion Airinė Pal&scaron;ytė settled into a great rhythm and managed to pull everything together to clear 1.93m at the final attempt, with home favourite Mirela Demireva coming away with a season&rsquo;s best of 1.91m and second place.
Pal&scaron;ytė&rsquo;s teammate and fellow national record-holder Edis Matusevičius lived up to his billing as the favourite in the men&rsquo;s javelin as he threw 83.00m in the final field event of the weekend.
Bulgarian fans in the Beroe Stadium particularly enjoyed the Olympic standard of 14.42m set by women&rsquo;s triple jump winner Gabriela Petrova, while Georgi Tsonov topped the men&rsquo;s equivalent with 16.35m.
Sixth-placed Slovakia&rsquo;s best performance came in the men&rsquo;s 400m with a personal best of 46.32 helping Simon Bujna just pip Luka Janezic on the line.
Latvia&rsquo;s only victory came through Mareks Arents in the men&rsquo;s pole vault. Having taken maximum points in Varazdin in 2019, the 34-year-old repeated the feat by equalling his 5.51m season&rsquo;s best, having been the last athlete to enter the competition at 5.10m.
Croatia won two events including discus success for European U23 champion Marija Tolj while Iceland finished ninth in the standings but with three wins. Dutch-based Hlynur Andresson set the ball rolling with a comfortable first-day 5000m win in 14:13.73. 
Baldvin Magnusson already had third in the 1500m to his name when he took to the 3000m start line on the second day and beat his rivals in a thrilling sprint finish to clock 8:01.56. European U20 bronze medallist Erna Soley Gunnarsdottir also won the shot put with 15.94m.
Full results are available <a href="https://stara-zagora21results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm">here.</a>

A strong showing in the track events helped Hungary to the overall victory at the European Athletics Team Championships Second League in Stara Zagora

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Eight victories inspire Hungary to Second League victory in Stara Zagora

Serbia missed out on promotion by the narrowest of margins two years ago but they made no mistake this time around at the European Athletics Team Championships Third League in Limassol, Cyprus this weekend.
After a crucial disqualification in the men&rsquo;s 4x400m knocked Serbia out of the sole promotion spot in 2019, the Serbian team convincingly topped the standings at this edition with 570 points. Hosts Cyprus also comfortably secured their passage into the Second League with 539 points while Moldova secured the third promotion spot ahead of Luxembourg - 481 to 465 points.
These three teams will be replaced in the Third League in two years&rsquo; time by Austria, Israel and Russia who were all automatically relegated by virtue of not competing at the Second League in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.
Serbian athletes placed in the top two in no fewer than 25 of the 40 events across the weekend. Individual highlights included former European U20 champion Milica Gardasevic winning the long jump with 6.54m and Lazar Anic providing the first part of a Serbian double in the long jump with 7.83m to defeat former European indoor champion Izmir Smajlaj from Albania with 7.70m.
Multiple European age-group medallist Elzan Bibic from Serbia won the 1500m in 3:48.96 although he had to settle for second in the 3000m behind Malta&rsquo;s Jordan Gusman who set a national record of 7:53.70 ahead of Bibic&rsquo;s 7:55.51. Gusman&rsquo;s winning time in the 3000m was the fastest across all four divisions and he was less than three seconds shy of Richard Ringer&rsquo;s championship record of 7:50.99.
Hosts Cyprus amassed 14 victories across the weekend to secure an immediate return to the Second League in 2023. Their veteran sprinter Eleni Artymata won the individual 400m in 51.79 before anchoring the Cypriot team to victory in the 4x400m in a national record of 3:41.52.
Olivia Fotopoulou was another star performer across the two days. She won the 100m in 11.42 and the 200m in 23.31 and ran the first leg of their victorious 4x100m team which clocked 44.61.
Former European indoor 60m hurdles champion Milan Trajkovic improved his season&rsquo;s best to 13.82 to win the 110m hurdles and fellow world finalist Apostolos Parellis threw 59.27m in the discus to defeat arguable pre-competition favourite Danijel Furtula from Montenegro with 57.97m.
Moldova overhauled Luxembourg for the third and final promotion spot thanks in no small part to some excellent performances in the throwing events. World U20 discus champion Alexandra Emilianov came away with maximum points in both the shot put (16.50m) and discus (56.41m), Andrian Mardare won the men&rsquo;s javelin with 82.57m and the brother-sister combo of Serghei Marghiev and Zalina Petrivskaya took a double in the hammer with winning marks of 74.49m and 70.33m respectively.
Other individual highlights included Luxembourg&rsquo;s Bob Bertemes winning the shot put with 21.02m ahead of Serbia&rsquo;s former European indoor champion Asmir Kolasinac with 20.45m and Albania&rsquo;s Luiza Gega winning the 3000m steeplechase in a gun-to-tape 9:39.56.&nbsp;
Full Third League results can be found <a href="https://limassol21results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Eleni Artymata won the individual 400m and anchored Cyprus to a national record in the 4x400m to seal their promotion at the European Athletics Team Championships Third League in Limassol

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Serbia and hosts Cyprus dominate proceedings in the Third League in Limassol

European Athletics is very pleased to announce that it is launching a Running &amp; Mass Participation Webinar Series, starting on Wednesday 23 June. 
The series will consist of 10 webinars running through the second half of 2021 all the way to December.
The topic of the first webinar is Changing the Marathon format: Battle of the Teams story which will look at the innovation new concept in marathon running which had its first edition in Prague on 30 May.
Webinar date and time: Wednesday 23 June. 1300-1415 CET. Free registration <a href="https://registration.socio.events/e/runningandmassparticipation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
The Battle Of The Teams innovatively promoted the marathon as a team sport.
<blockquote>
"The marathon has always been seen as an individual race but we wanted to change this tradition and brings a revolutionary concept that could offer even more drama than the usual endurance runs. This concept is decided by the time of each team member. The race does not end until the last runner crosses the finish line," said Carlo Capalbo, organiser of the Prague International Marathon and Battle of the Teams.
</blockquote>
The webinar speakers are:
- Carlo Capalbo (RunCzech President and Organiser of the Battle of the Teams)
- Tim Hutchings (international broadcaster, Battle of the Teams commentator)
- Jakob Larsen (World Athletics Director of Competitions and Events)
Wednesday's webinar will be opened by European Athletics Council Member Panagiotis Dimakos (Chair of the European Athletics Running Advisory Group). The webinars are aimed at anyone involved in the running industry including, but not only, race organisers, industry specialists, partners and sponsors as well as the media.

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European Athletics launches its Running & Mass Participation Webinar Series

It has been almost one year since European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen died on 20 June 2020, part of a turbulent year which had a massive impact on athletics in Europe and around the world.
However, Svein Arne&rsquo;s legacy is still felt at European Athletics and in all aspects of our sport across the continent.
This was most recently and publicly seen in the restructured European Athletics Team Championships, which Svein Arne was very much the brains behind, and which saw a thrilling Super League contest at the end of last month with the rest of the Leagues being contested this weekend.
Many of his other initiatives that he was so keen on, notably the extension of gender equality across the sport, have also continued to be developed and implemented despite the challenges of the last 15 months since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;When I took over at the helm of European Athletics last year, one of the things I thought to myself was &lsquo;I want to make Svein Arne proud of what our organisation can achieve moving forward&rsquo;,&rdquo; reflected European Athletics Interim President Dobromir Karamarinov.
</blockquote>
&ldquo;He left behind a terrible void, both personally for all those people that knew him as an individual that was passionate about athletics, and professionally as an energetic and charismatic visionary of what our sport needed to do and where it needed to go.
&ldquo;Sadly, he will never get to see how we have picked up the baton following his death, but I would like to think he would give us a thumbs up and flash his famous broad smile, especially with the way that we have brought European Athletics events back to the athletes and public attention by staging live events once again,&rdquo; added Karamarinov.
European Athletics CEO Christian Milz also paid tribute the legacy left by the ebullient Norwegian who led the organisation for almost six years following his election as President in 2015.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;Svein Arne used to say that he wanted athletics in Europe to be on every phone and in every home. It was almost his mantra, a personal mission statement,&rdquo; commented Milz.
</blockquote>
&ldquo;In the 12 months since he left us, I think we have got much closer to achieving Svein Arne&rsquo;s aim and have engaged with more people than ever before: especially the athletes and fans, and also the other stakeholders in our sport who Svein Arne recognised were so important, such as the media and our commercial and broadcast partners.
&ldquo;Digital developments such our enhanced and extended use of social media, live streaming, a new website and other online services, especially those we created and implemented out of necessity in 2020, were among things that Svein Arne conceived for European Athletics, and we have since been able to deliver in no small part thanks to his lasting influence. He may be gone but his presence remains felt in so many areas of our lives,&rdquo; added Milz.
<img src="Plaque commemorating Svein Arne Hansen" alt="" />[TWITTER ID="http://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1405783155286712322"]
To commemorate the life of Svein Arne Hansen and his contribution to athletics a memorial plaque was placed in the terrace of the European Athletics headquarters in Lausanne and a maple tree planted in the accompanying garden.
A plaque was also placed on the terrace in memoriam of Executive Board and Council Member Frank Hensel who also died in 2020,

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One Year Without Svein Arne

If you have an interest in athletics and art, European Athletics would like to hear from you. Your efforts may end up being seen across the continent by everyone interested in our sport.
European Athletics is inviting painters, graphic designers, and other artists to create a work of art that can be reproduced and given to the recipients of the 2021 European Athletics Women&rsquo;s Leadership Awards in recognition of their service.
The winning work of art will be presented to the award winners at the European Athletics Golden Tracks Awards Night in Lausanne, Switzerland on Saturday 16 October or at national ceremonies in the following months.
The creator of the winning work will receive a prize of CHF 1000.
The artwork contest is open to any European citizen &ndash; female or male &ndash; living in Europe. Students of art, design and related fields are especially encouraged to enter.
&nbsp;
Background
The biennial European Athletics Women&rsquo;s Leadership Awards was created in 2009 to recognise and celebrate women leaders in athletics.
Each of European Athletics&rsquo; eligible Member Federations is asked to identify one recipient of the Award for her work and accomplishments e.g. coaching, volunteering, managing, or political participation; anything other than for success in competition.&nbsp;
The main criterion is a significant contribution that serves as an example of leadership and other values of the sport of athletics.&nbsp;
From all the national Women&rsquo;s Leaders Award winners, one will be selected to represent the entire group of 2021 recipients at the European Athletics Golden Tracks Night on Saturday 16 October 2021 where she will receive an award and artwork prize. A copy of the artwork will subsequently be given to all the other award winners.
&nbsp;
How to participate
The artwork should be a A4 size (21x29.7 cm), which can be a painting, drawing, or a print i.e. two-dimensional, not a sculpture.
Among the ideas that should be incorporated into the artwork are:
<ul>
<li>The sport of athletics (running, jumping, throwing and race walking) and its associated values such as competition, health and fitness, discipline, education, quality of life, etc.</li>
<li>Women</li>
<li>Leadership</li>
<li>Strength</li>
<li>Celebration</li>
</ul>
To participate in the competition, please complete the nomination form clicking on the link below.
<a href="https://europeanathletics.formstack.com/forms/wlaartwork_copy">CLICK HERE</a><a href="https://europeanathletics.formstack.com/forms/wlaartwork_copy"> </a>
The deadline for submission is Tuesday 31 August 2021.
Please note that all information collected throughout this form will be used to contact you only if you are selected as the winner of the competition.
All data obtained via this online submission form will be deleted by 31 December 2021.
&nbsp;
Selection criteria
A European Athletics-appointed jury will identify a shortlist of three or four entries from those submitted by the deadline.
The criteria will be:
<ul>
<li>Quality and attractiveness</li>
<li>Appropriate expression of the requested themes and ideas</li>
<li>A European context</li>
</ul>
The winner will be selected from the shortlisted entries by a public vote that will take place on the European Athletics social media accounts during the first two weeks of September with the winning entry announced on Wednesday 15 September.
&nbsp;
Ownership
Upon the announcement of the winner, the ownership and future rights relating to the use of the winning entry will be transferred to European Athletics.
If you want more information relating to this contest, please contact European Athletics Development Coordinator Yannick Morard (Yannick.morard@european-athletics.org)

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Calling all artists! Design the artwork for the 2021 European Athletics Women’s Leadership Awards

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SPAR has been the principal sponsor of European Athletics since 1996, becoming synonymous with the sport during this period. Athletics is a sport where personal endeavour is combined with team participation to achieve success, and SPAR identifies with this principle through its national partners by ensuring that consumers enjoy shopping at SPAR. SPAR retailers continue to develop the brand through sponsorship awareness and through the critical link with individual athletes who are also customers of independent retailers. SPAR is proud to be involved with European Athletics, an organisation which strives to bring passion and enthusiasm for their sport to viewers, spectators and participants.

Spar

Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland began its partnership with European Athletics in 2008 as a top-tier sponsor of all Major Events and the European Athletics U23 and U20  Championships. Le Gruyère is a very high quality natural cheese that has been produced for many centuries in an artisanal method without any additives. VIP guests, athletes and fans have the opportunity to taste this magnificent cheese at European Athletics events sponsored by Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland. 

Le Gruyere

Toyo Tires is one of the world's largest tire manufacturers. Toyo Tire Corporation was founded in 1945 in Osaka, Japan. In 1975, the manufacturer opened its European headquarters in Germany. The product range includes winter, summer and all-season tyres for motor vehicles as well as van tyres and special off-road products. The philosophy of Toyo Tires is to combine driving pleasure with top performance. This is reflected in each of the products, as well as in its close partnership with European Athletics.

Toyo Tires

With around 4000 items, LIQUI MOLY offers a global, uniquely broad range of automotive chemicals: motor oils and additives, greases and pastes, sprays and car care, glues and sealants. Founded in 1957, LIQUI MOLY develops and produces its products exclusively in Germany where it is the undisputed market leader for additives and is repeatedly voted the best oil brand. The company sells its products in more than 150 countries and generated €569 million in sales in 2019.

Liqui Moli

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has been the Official Broadcast Partner of European Athletics since 1981. During this 40-year partnership, the outstanding collaboration between both organisations has always been focused on developing European Athletics into a more attractive product for television, spectators and athletes. Through its operational department Eurovision Services, the EBU is continuously working to promote athletics by offering the most comprehensive coverage of European Athletics events all over Europe.

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 110,000 employees and an annual revenue of approximately €12 billion. It is the European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high performance computing, and the group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 73 countries. A pioneer in decarbonisation services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonised digital environment for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), and listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index.

Atos is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic and  Paralympic Games. It is also the Timing-Scoring, Results and Operations provider of European Athletics events since 2017, and European Athletics Official Digital Partner for their new digital platform (web and mobile).


Atos

Mondo has designed and produced prefabricated athletics tracks since 1948 and has been a European Athletics partner since 1988. They have combined their skills in the pursuit of a shared goal: to support the growth of athletics with passion and innovation. Mondo’s athletics surfaces offer uniform dynamic response and complete control over stride, rhythm, and balance for every athlete. The advantages of Mondo’s prefabricated track surfaces include optimal performance for athletes regardless of climate and environmental conditions. Mondo operates a careful selection of its raw materials for its track surfaces and constant production as we care about athletes’ health. Mondo products have passed UL Environment Tests for more than 10,000 volatile chemical agents and have attained GREENGUARD Gold certification.

Mondo

Opened in 1909 and magnificently restored, the Hotel Royal Savoy Lausanne combines Art Nouveau and modernity with genuine panache. Featuring tailor-made service and unbeatable comfort, this legendary venue is located a short walk from the shores of Lac Leman and offers every guest the absolute luxury of feeling truly at home. The Hotel Royal Savoy is proud to be the Preferred Hotel Partner of European Athletics in Lausanne since 2016, offering valuable support and accommodation services to European Athletics business activities throughout the year.

Hotel Royal Savoy Lausanne

Getty Images is the world's leading creator and distributor of visual content – with award winning editorial photographers and videographers covering hundreds of Sports, Entertainment, and News events daily. Digital asset management and distribution services optimize efficiency and content syndication for hundreds of media partners and rights holders.

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One Year Without Svein Arne

Calling all artists! Design the artwork for the 2021 European Athletics Women’s Leadership Awards

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