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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”

Propelled by five track victories, the Netherlands are on course to return to the Super League in 2023 after the first day of competition at the European Athletics Team Championships First League in Cluj-Napoca, Romania on Saturday (19).
The Netherlands have accrued 175 points after 21 events and have a healthy cushion over the Czech Republic who occupy the second promotion spot with 160.5 points with Belarus (158 points) and Greece (154 points) still in the reckoning. At the other end of the spectrum, hosts Romania (94 points) and Estonia (79 points) occupy two of the relegation places along with Ireland who pulled out of the event.
The standout performance - and not just from a Dutch standpoint - was Femke Bol&rsquo;s victory in the 400m. Fresh from a 53.44 clocking in the 400m hurdles in the Rome Diamond League, Bol reverted back to the 400m flat in Cluj-Napoca and the 21-year-old strode to an unopposed victory in 50.37.
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Bol&rsquo;s time was not only another Dutch record and a European lead but she also displaced the championship record of 50.50 set by Great Britain&rsquo;s Perri Shakes-Drayton in the Super League eight years. Remarkably this was Bol&rsquo;s tenth national record of the season across all distances even at this relatively early juncture of the summer season!
One of Bol&rsquo;s training partners Jochem Dobber followed suit with victory in the men&rsquo;s 400m in 45.40 and national record-holder Irene Van Der Reijken won the 3000m steeplechase in 9:39.00 ahead of Romania&rsquo;s Elena Adelina Paneat in 9:41.68.
The Dutch team further embellished their promotion prospects on the first day by closing the programme with victories in both the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s 4x100m. Naomi Sedney anchored the women&rsquo;s team to victory in 43.38 ahead of a depleted Swiss team in 43.73 and veteran Churandy Martina held off a late charge from Turkey&rsquo;s Ramil Guliyev to win the men&rsquo;s 4x100m in 38.81 to 38.94.
Shortly after Bol&rsquo;s record-breaking performance in the 400m, fellow European indoor champion Miltiadis Tentoglou from Greece also eclipsed the European Team Championships record in the men&rsquo;s long jump.
Tentoglou began with 8.27m which would have handsomely sufficed for the victory but the world leader improved with his third effort, landing in the sandpit at 8.38m to add two centimetres to the previous record of 8.36m set by Russia&rsquo;s Aleksandr Menkov also at the 2013 edition in Gateshead.
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Given the calibre of the field, Tentoglou was surprisingly the only athlete to break the eight metre-line. Czech Republic&rsquo;s Radek Juska collected eleven points in second place with 7.95m with Sweden&rsquo;s Thobias Montler, who has twice won silver medals behind Tentoglou at the European Indoor Championships, third with 7.94m.
Another standout performance on the first day came from the in-form Finnish triple jumper Senni Salminen who set a European lead and national record of 14.63m in the fourth round to defeat former European U20 champion Violetta Skvartsova from Belarus by exactly half-a-metre.
After two failures at 4.60m, reigning European indoor champion Angelica Moser&rsquo;s gamble to pass to a season&rsquo;s best of 4.65m paid off as the Swiss claimed maximum points in the pole vault ahead of Greece&rsquo;s Eleni-Klaoudia Polak with 4.60m.
The second day of competition will be streamed live through the European Athletics website again.
Full day one results can be found <a href="https://cluj-napoca21results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<a href="https://stara-zagora21results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Second League results</a>
<a href="https://limassol21results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Third League results</a>

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Bol’s 400m championship record puts the Netherlands on the promotion path in Cluj-Napoca

The Serbian team missed out on the sole promotion spot at the 2019 European Athletics Team Championships Third League after a dramatic disqualification in the men&rsquo;s 4x400m but with the top three teams to gain promotion in Limassol this weekend, Serbia should secure a comfortable passage into the third tier of the biennial competition.
The European Athletics Team Championships Third League will be steamed live through the European Athletics Facebook page.
While reigning world indoor champion Ivana Spanovic won&rsquo;t be on team duties this weekend, former European U20 champion Milica Gardasevic should still deliver a full complement of points for Serbia in the women&rsquo;s long jump.&nbsp;
Other standout names on the Serbian team include Elzan Bibic in the men&rsquo;s 1500m, five-time Olympian Olivera Jevtic in the women&rsquo;s 5000m, Lazar Anic in the men&rsquo;s long jump, Dragana Tomasevic in the women&rsquo;s shot put and discus and former European indoor champion Asmir Kolasinac in the men&rsquo;s shot put.
The men&rsquo;s shot put is shaping up to be one of the highest quality events across the three divisions of the European Athletics Team Championships this weekend and Kolasinac is one of four throwers in the line-up with lifetime bests in excess of the 21 metre-line.
Kolasinac&rsquo;s lifetime best of 21.58m ranks him ahead of his Georgian rival Giorgi Mujaridze (21.21m) and Mesud Pezer from Bosnia and Herzegovina (21.48m) although Luxembourg&rsquo;s Bob Bertemes leads the way based on his season&rsquo;s best of 21.71m and his lifetime best of 22.22m.&nbsp;
Luxembourg were one of four nations to get relegated from the European Athletics Team Championships Second League two years ago along with Georgia, Malta and host nation Cyprus. Along with Serbia, Cyprus are arguably the strongest favourites for an immediate reprieve back into the Second League in 2023.
The star name on Cyprus&rsquo; team is their popular sprint hurdler Milan Trajkovic, the 2019 European indoor 60m hurdles champion and a world finalist outdoors in the 110m hurdles in Doha. However, Trajkovic has been struggling with injuries this year which has so far limited him to a modest season&rsquo;s best performance of 13.91.
Veteran sprinter Eleni Artymata, a world finalist in the 200m as far back as the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, will be representing the hosts in the 400m as well as the 4x100m and 4x400m while twins Olivia (100/200m) and Filippa Fotopoulou (long jump) are expected to accrue a healthy quote of points for Cyprus. Olivia and Filippa will join forces with Artymata in the 4x100m as well.
Another standout clash of the weekend pits home favourite and world finalist Apostolos Parellis in the discus against Danijel Furtula from Montenegro who leads the entry-list with a season&rsquo;s best of 65.50m to Parellis&rsquo; 61.90m. Montenegro has another strong favourite in the women&rsquo;s high jump with the Athens-based Marija Vukovic expected to secure maximum points.
Moldova has featured in the Second League in editions gone by and their team&rsquo;s strength is heavily weighted to the men's and women's throwing events. Their team includes the in-form javelin thrower Andrian Mardare, who finished second to Johannes Vetter at the European Throwing Cup, world U20 discus champion Alexandra Emilianov who has been entered for both the shot put and discus and the sister-brother duo of Zalina Petrivskaya and Serghei Marghiev in the hammer.
And while it would be a mild surprise if Albania claimed one of the three promotion places, their standard bearer for so many years Luiza Gega is fully expected to dominate the 3000m steeplechase and 5000m in Limassol.
Gega, who holds all the Albanian records from 800m to the marathon, won both events in the Third League in Skopje two years ago and her winning times of 9:25.80 and 15:36.62 were the fastest times recorded across all four divisions.
Likewise, former European indoor champion Izmir Smajlaj is also expected to bring home maximum points for Albania in the long jump.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MARCH 03:  Milan Trajkovic of Cyprus celebrates winning gold in the final of the men's 60m hurdles on day three of the 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships at Emirates Arena on March 3, 2019 in Glasgow, Scotland.  (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

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Serbia and hosts Cyprus primed for promotion in Limassol

Five-time European medallist Ivet Lalova-Collio will hope to lead the Bulgarian promotion charge on home soil at the European Athletics Team Championships Second League in Stara Zagora this weekend which will be streamed live on the European Athletics YouTube channel.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Including the European Cup which ran until 2008, Lalova-Collio is the most successful athlete in the competition's history across all divisions, racking up a remarkable sixteen victories stretching back to 2004. On that day in Plovdiv, Lalova-Collio set her 100m personal best of 10.77 aged just 20 to go equal second on the European all-time list before winning the 200m the following day in 22.58.&nbsp;
Now 37, Lalova-Collio will only contest the 200m individually in Stara Zagora and the world and European finalist will be looking to draw on all of her experience on the same track where she won a sprint double six years ago. Her biggest rival is likely to be European indoor 60m finalist Maja Mihalinec Zidar from Slovenia who will be looking to emulate Lalova-Collio in 2015 by completing the sprint double in Stara Zagora.
European discus champion Andrius Gudžius from Lithuania, who has thrown 68.62m this year, is another standout name to be competing at the Beroe Stadium as nine countries will be aiming to climb up to the First League by finishing in the top three in the overall standings.&nbsp;
By contrast, none of the participating nations this weekend will drop down into the Third League. Austria withdrew from the event citing coronavirus concerns and Israel also dropped out after one of their team members tested positive for coronavirus. As a consequence both teams will get automatically relegated from the Second League along with Russia who are still banned from competing internationally.&nbsp;
But despite a slightly depleted field, the men&rsquo;s discus will be one of the highlights of the weekend. European U23 champion Kristjan Čeh is ahead of Gudzius and second on this year&rsquo;s world list, with the Slovenian having broken his own European U23 record with a 69.52m effort last month. Iceland&rsquo;s Gu&eth;ni Valur Gudnason and Hungary&rsquo;s J&aacute;nos Husz&aacute;k have also surpassed the 65 metre-line this season, making it one of the highest quality events across the programme.
Joining Lalova-Collio as a local favourite is Olympic and European silver medallist Mirela Demireva. The women's high jump could be close, with the top five athletes separated by just five centimetres based on season&rsquo;s bests. Lithuania&rsquo;s former European indoor champion Airine Palsyte heads this list having cleared 1.90m this year compared to 1.88m for Demireva.&nbsp;
Croatia&rsquo;s 2014 European medallist Ana Simic, 13-time Hungarian champion Barbara Szabo, and Slovenian youngster Lia Apostolovski - who jumped 1.92m last summer - are also contenders for a full complement of points in Stara Zagora.&nbsp;
World University Games high jump winner Tihomir Ivanov is another perennially strong Bulgarian who triumphed in the First League in Vaasa, Finland in 2017. Three athletes managed the same feat in Sandnes in 2019 before their nations were ultimately relegated: Lithuanians Dovile Kilty (triple jump), Edis Matusevicius (javelin) and Slovakia&rsquo;s Martina Hrasnova (hammer throw).&nbsp;&nbsp;
Denmark's Olympic silver medallist Sara Slott Petersen will also hope to secure maximum points in the 400m hurdles. The 2016 European champion faces - among others - 2017 Second League winner Agata Zupin of Slovenia as well as Hungary's Janka Molnar, who has improved to 56.17 in 2021.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, Slott Petersen and her compatriot Anna Emilie M&oslash;ller make up a returning group of 12 who won when the third tier of this competition was held in Varaždin, Croatia in 2019. On her return to racing after injury, the latter lines up in the 3000m steeplechase, an event in which she has won two European U23 titles and holds the European U23 record with 9:13.46.
Another European U23 gold medallist involved is 21-year-old discus thrower Maria Tolj, the only athlete on the entry list who has thrown over 60 metres this year. The Croatian set a 63.39m lifetime best at the European Throwing Cup in Split in March and should successfully deputise for Sandra Perkovic who won two years ago with a championship record of 68.58m.
In the same month, Tina &Scaron;utej ended her long wait for a European pole vault medal by winning silver indoors in Torun. Slovenian hopes will also rest on the likes of Luka Janezic (400m), Žan Rudolf (800m) and training partners Klara Lukan and Marusa Mismas-Zrimsek in the 3000m and 5000m respectively.&nbsp;
From a Latvian perspective, Madara Palameika is the only female javelin thrower over 60 metres, while Elvis Misāns and Mareks Ārents stand good chances of repeating their triple jump and pole vault wins from two years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Līga Velvere and Laura Igaune would say the same. The former is marginally behind the 2:01.34 new lifetime best of Hungary&rsquo;s Bianka Bartha-K&eacute;ri this year in the 800m. Iguane&rsquo;s 70.64m season&rsquo;s best hammer throw is 26 centimetres better than the aforementioned Hrasnova.&nbsp;

Ivet Lalova set a new championships record with 11.11 over 100m to earn full points for Bulgaria at the European Athletics Team Championships Second League in Stara Zagora. (Photo by Ilian Telkedzhiev, Atletika-Magazine)

Lalova the star but Denmark are top

Lalova-Collio and Demireva to spearhead Bulgaria’s promotion prospects in Stara Zagora

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 Carlos 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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