Following the tragic death of Svein Arne Hansen on 20 June 2020, European Athletics Vice President and Executive Board member Dobromir Karamarinov, from Bulgaria, has become the&nbsp;European Athletics Interim President.
Karamarinov, in line with the European Athletics Constitution, originally assumed this role following Hansen's stroke in March which left the latter unable to perform the duties of his position.
Born on 26 March 1958, Karamarinov was first elected to the European Athletics Council in 2007. After two terms as a Council Member he was elected as First Vice President in 2015.
Over the next four years, he worked closely with Hansen who had been elected as President at the same Congress, to help deliver the five-part agenda outlined in the Hansen's 'Leading Change' document.
Karamarinov was formerly an athletics coach and has a post-graduate degree in sports management. He is the President of the Bulgarian athletics federation and the Association of the Balkan Athletic Federations.
In addition to being a member of various European Athletics and World Athletics Commissions and Advisory Groups, he was also the head of the Team Europe delegation at the 2010, 2014 and 2018 IAAF Continental Cups.

1290921 G08 W01

The President

<h4 class="dcm-structure-subtitle dcm-em-lbl">Interim President</h4>
<ul>
<li><a title="Dobromir Karamarinov" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/f41bccb9-1921-4ee5-89c0-eedf181d65db.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dobromir Karamarinov</a> *</li>
</ul>
<h4 class="dcm-structure-subtitle dcm-em-lbl">Vice Presidents</h4>
<ul>
<li><a title="Cherry Alexander" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/f6b778f6-361d-4513-aa38-f3cba0d3b427.pdf">Cherry Alexander</a> *</li>
<li><a title="Libor Varhanik" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/322a1f79-c8bf-4e5f-9297-e4414f57c2af.pdf">Libor Varhanik</a> *</li>
</ul>
<h4 class="dcm-structure-subtitle dcm-em-lbl">Council Members</h4>
<ul>
<li><a title="Slobodan Brankovic" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/506ff964-a846-4396-bba2-61d95aa18a71.pdf">Slobodan Brankovic</a></li>
<li><a title="Nadya But-Husaim" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/a096fd51-89ae-4033-9f33-2060d45a6499.pdf">Nadya But-Husaim</a></li>
<li><a title="Raul Chapado" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/089c6251-0cea-4fda-815e-252f0675abea.pdf">Raul Chapado</a></li>
<li><a title="Fatih Cintimar" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/7843951f-83ed-42f7-bb41-a7a53271b9d9.pdf">Fatih Cintimar</a></li>
<li><a title="Panagiotis Dimakos" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/860f706e-73d1-48e2-ad2e-b26352839380.pdf">Panagiotis Dimakos</a></li>
<li><a title="Jean Gracia" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/73bec06a-4af0-45d6-8023-4643b3c432a9.pdf">Jean Gracia</a></li>
<li><a title="Karin Grute Movin" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/79d0891b-d213-49d5-83e2-bac8e123b131.pdf">Karin Grute Movin</a> *</li>
<li><a title="Marton Gyulai" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/5a48e3c9-975a-415b-a043-246d6462bd77.pdf">Marton Gyulai</a></li>
<li><a title="Anna Kirnova" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/63f3ca61-f70c-47d9-8a9e-d92d925f0a72.pdf">Anna Kirnova</a></li>
<li><a title="Antti Pihlakoski" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/184d1515-d793-4328-a991-4c6c48da7855.pdf">Antti Pihlakoski</a></li>
<li><a title="Sonja Spendelhofer" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/cb1381f2-d991-43ae-b529-a958532a08c1.pdf">Sonja Spendelhofer</a></li>
<li><a title="Erich Teigam&auml;gi" href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/80ce9747-92ed-4200-8e7e-49883a31dcb8.pdf">Erich Teigam&auml;gi</a></li>
</ul>
<h4 class="dcm-structure-subtitle dcm-em-lbl">Ex Officio Council Members</h4>
<ul>
<li>Sebastian Coe (World Athletics President)</li>
<li>Periklis Iakovakis (Chair of the European Athletics Athletes Committee) * Members of the European Athletics Executive Board</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h3>The European Athletics Council consists of:</h3>
<ul>
<li>The President</li>
<li>Three Vice Presidents, with a minimum representation of one man and one woman</li>
<li>13 other members, elected by the European Athletics Congress, with a minimum representation of three members of each gender&nbsp;</li>
<li>The CEO (ex officio)</li>
<li>The President of the IAAF (ex officio)</li>
<li>The Athletes Committee Chair (ex officio member)</li>
</ul>
The term of office for the Council is for the period from the effective date of its election to the conclusion of the next Ordinary Congress at which elections of Council members are to be made.&nbsp; The President, Vice Presidents, CEO (ex officio), and up to two Council members, approved by the Council upon proposal by the President, form the Executive Board.
<h3 class="dcm-articleTitle">Honorary Council Members</h3>
Honorary Presidents:
Carl-Olaf Hom&eacute;n (FIN)&nbsp; Hansj&ouml;rg Wirz (SUI)&nbsp;
Honorary Council Members:
Janez Aljancic (SLO) Sylvia Barlag (NED) Luciano Barra (ITA) Valery Borzov (UKR) Georgios Constantopoulos (GRE) Jose Luis de Carlos (ESP) Antonios G. Dracos (CYP) Rudolf Dusek (CZE) Al Guy (IRL) Heiner Henze (GER) Philippe Lamblin (FRA) John Lister (GBR) Toralf Nilsson (SWE) Karel Pilny (CZE) Jorge Salcedo (POR) Hans B. Skaset (NOR) Salih Munir Yaras (TUR)
Deceased
<div>
Honorary President:&nbsp;
Sir Arthur Gold (GBR)&nbsp;
Honorary Council Members:&nbsp;
<div id="radePasteHelper">
Karl Beuermann (GER)&nbsp; Jerzy Bogobowicz (POL) * Emile Clemm&eacute; (BEL)&nbsp; Jack Crump (GBR) * Pierre Dasriaux (FRA) Roger Dubief (FRA)&nbsp; Max Danz (GER) * Juan Manuel de Hoz (ESP) J. Sigfrid Edstr&ouml;m (SWE) * Jean Frauenlob (SUI) Frederick W. Holder (GBR) Leonid Khomenkov (URS)&nbsp; August Kirsch (GER)&nbsp; Paul Mericamp (FRA) * Otto Misangyi (HUN) Donald Pain (GBR)&nbsp; Adriaan Paulen (NED)&nbsp; Emmanuel Rose (DEN)&nbsp; Agoston Schulek (HUN)&nbsp; Jean Ren&eacute; Seurin (FRA)&nbsp; Jozsef Sir (HUN)&nbsp; Sziland Stankovitz (HUN) * Paquale Stassano (ITA) * Erika Strasser (AUT) Irena Szewinska (POL) Artur Takac (SCG) Armas Valste (FIN) George Wieczisk (GER) Bruno Zauli (ITA) *
&nbsp;*posthumous nomination
&nbsp;
<div>&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

1286700 G06 W01

Council

The 2019 European Athletics Congress was held in Prague, Czech Republic between 12-14 April 2019.
The 26th European Athletics Congress is the general assembly of the Member Federations and the supreme authority of the European Athletic Association. The Congress is the forum for proposed Constitution amendments and changes to be voted upon.
The 2019 Congress was also an 'Election Congress' which will see the election of European Athletics President, Vice-Presidents and Council Members. The list of successful candidates can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.european-athletics.org/european-athletics/who-we-are/council.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
The Congress consists of the Council and delegates of the 51 Member Federations. Each Member Federation in good standing, according to the European Athletics Constitution, has one vote.
The 2021 European Athletics Congress, the 27th edition, will take place in Lausanne, Switzerland and is scheduled for 15-17 October 2021.

1286672 G06 W01

Congress

Development Commission (2019-2021) 
Chair (interim) GRACIA, Jean&nbsp; (Council Member)
Deputy Chair VASIC, Marko (European Athletics Office)
Members ANNER, Richard (LUX) DAVIS, Nick (IRL) EJUPI HAJZERAJ Pranvera (KOS) MEADOWS, Jenny (GBR) PETRAHN, Barbara (HUN) RUSSO, Roberta (ITA) TEIGAM&Auml;GI, Erich (EST)&nbsp;
Event &amp; Competition Commission (2019-2021) 
Chair ALEXANDER, Cherry (Vice President)&nbsp;
Deputy Chair BRUN, Bernadette (European Athletics Office)
Members BIRCAN, Nilufer (TUR) BUT-HUSAIM, Nadya (BLR) DE CARLOS, Jos&eacute; Luis (ESP) FITTKO, Esther (GER) JUCK, Alfons (SVK) NILSSON, Toralf (SWE) O&rsquo;CALLAGHAN, Pierce (IRL) PUHALEVA, Galia (BUL) VAN DER AAR, Niels (NED)
IAKOVAKIS, Periklis (Athletes Committee Chair)
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Medical &amp; Anti-Doping Commission (2019-2021)
Chair BRANCO, Pedro (POR)
Deputy Chair RUTKOVSZKY, Ede (European Athletics Office)
Members ENGSTR&Ouml;M, Jan (SWE) DRISCOLL, Richard (GBR) KUURANNE, Tiia (FIN) KISS, Marianna (HUN) COHEN, Benjamin (SUI)
Athletes Committee (2018-2022)
Chair IAKOVAKIS, Periklis (GRE)
Deputy Chair PIRLET, Quentin (European Athletics Office)
Members ENGLAND, Hannah (GBR) LALOVA-COLLIO, Ivet (BUL) LEITIS, Janis (LAT) LEWANDOWSKI, Marcin (POL) RODRIGUEZ, Angel David (ESP) SALIS, Silvia (ITA) SPANOVIC, Ivana (SRB)
Evaluation Panel 
Chair MENDES, C&eacute;lia (European Athletics Office)
Members BARLAG, Sylvia (NED) DE CARLOS, Jos&eacute; Luis (ESP) NILSSON, Toralf (SWE) PILNY, Karel (CZE) SALCEDO, Jorge (POR) WEISS, Pierre (FRA)
EAA Court (2019-2023)
Chair MORO, Daniele (SUI) Vice-Chair BROLIN, Thore (SWE)
Members NAGHIYEV, Zaur (AZE) ROUENOV PANTCHEV, Trifon (BUL) ENGELBRECHT, Georg (GER) STINSON, Philip (GBR) BEREZOV, Victor (RUS - This member will only become active upon Russia's suspension as a Member Federation being lifted.)&nbsp;
For further information please contact:&nbsp;<a id="EAAcourt@european-athletics.org" href="mailto:EAAcourt@european-athletics.org">EAAcourt@european-athletics.org</a>&nbsp;
European Athletics Advisory Groups (2019 &ndash; 2023)
&nbsp;
Bidding Advisory Group 
Chair ALEXANDER, Cherry (Vice President) Members BRUN, Bernadette (European Athletics Office) GRUTE MOVIN, Karin (Executive Board Member) MENDES, C&eacute;lia (European Athletics Office) VARHANIK, Libor (Vice President)
EU Advisory Group Chair GRACIA, Jean (Council Member) Members LIPPE, Sirje (EST) MENDES, C&eacute;lia (European Athletics Office) VASIC, Marko (European Athletics Office)
Finances Advisory Group
Chair KARAMARINOV, Dobromir (European Athletics Interim President) JOLLIET, Sylvain (European Athletics Office) MILZ, Christian (European Athletics CEO) PILNY, Karel (Financial Advisor) Governance Advisory Group Chair GRACIA, Jean (Council Member) Members BARLAG, Sylvia (NED) BARAN, Ami (ISR) CASTERJANA, Carlota (ESP) FREITAG, Dagmar (GER) LIPPE, Sirje (EST) MENDES, C&eacute;lia (European Athletics Office) PREZELJ, Rožle (SLO)&nbsp;&nbsp; Marketing Advisory Group Chair VARHANIK, Libor (Vice President) Members BRAUN, Charles (European Athletics Office) CHAPADO, Raul (ESP) GRUTE MOVIN, Karin (Executive Board Member) MAGYAR, Patrick (SUI) MILZ, Christian (European Athletics CEO) &nbsp; Media Advisory Group Chair GYULAI, M&aacute;rton (Council Member) Members BLUSINA, Ieva (LAT) JUCK, Alfons (SVK) FAULKNER, Robert (European Athletics Office) O&rsquo;CALLAGHAN, Pierce (IRL)
Running Advisory Group Chair DIMAKOS, Panagiotis (Council Member, Interim Chair) Members GRIBEL VORUM, Katrine (DEN) GRUTE MOVIN, Karen (Executive Board Member) VARHANIK, Libor (Vice President) VASIC, Marko (European Athletics Office) WIGHTMAN, Geoff (GBR)

European Athletics&nbsp;Medical &amp; Anti-Doping Commission: Pedro Branco (chairman), Tiia Kuuranne, Jan Engstr&ouml;m, Marianna Kiss, Ede Rutkovszky (EA Office), Richard Driscoll

Comissions

Commissions

European Athletics celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 2020 and a new logo reflecting its 50th anniversary was used throughout the year.
However, the European Athletics can actually trace its origins back almost a century.
In 1932, what was then the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) created a special committee to explore the possibility of organising a European Championships in Athletics.
The following year, the IAAF Council appointed a permanent European Committee.
The Committee met for the first time in Budapest on 7 January 1934 and the first European Athletics Championships were staged later that year in Torino.
The Committee was subsequently elected every four years by the whole membership of the IAAF and then, from 1966, exclusively by the IAAF's European Member Federations.
Its remit in this era included expanding the European competition programme which it did by adding the European Cup, first staged in 1965 and later to become the present day European Athletics Team Championships and then the European Indoor Games, first staged in 1966 which later became the European Athletics Indoor Championships.
On 1 November 1969 at a meeting of the Committee in Bucharest, the Association of the European Members of the IAAF was formed and its Constitutional Rules were confirmed at the following year's IAAF Congress.
These Rules came into force at the first European Athletic Association Congress in Paris on 7 November 1970, after which the organisation was known as the European Athletic Association (EAA).
<img src="https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/1290180_FLS_W01.jpeg" alt="Opening ceremony of the 1934 European Athletics Championships" width="1440" height="" />
The EAA's role now includes the further development of the European competition programme - and it has been at the forefront of introducing continental age-group championships as well as competitions for specific disciplines such as the European 10,000m Cup and European Throwing Cup - the development of the sport at all levels in Europe and supporting its Member Federations.
The EAA was legally re-constituted in Switzerland in 2003 and the Headquarters were moved to Lausanne, effective 1 January 2004.
The association adopted the brand name European Athletics in 2004 following the move to Lausanne and a new Constitution, reflecting various changes to the organisational structure and working practices of the EAA, was adopted by an Extraordinary European Athletic Association Congress on 15 October 2005.
Svein Arne Hansen of Norway became the fifth&nbsp;President of European Athletics at the Bled Congress on 11 April 2015. He was re-elected at the 26th European Athletics Congress in Prague on 13 April 2019. He was re-elected for another four-year term in April 2019.
Previous Presidents were: Switzerland's Hansj&ouml;rg Wirz, who served from 1999 to 2015. Finland&rsquo;s Carl-Olaf Homen from 1987 to 1999, Great Britain's Arthur Gold from 1976 to 1987 and Adriaan Paulen of the Netherlands from 1970 to 1976.
In 2016, to accommodate the expansion of the European Athletics staff and activities, there was a move to larger premises in Lausanne, alongside the former offices.
European Athletics' membership considerably during the late 1980s and early 1990s following the political changes in central and eastern European during this period, growing from 34 Member Federations in 1987 to 49 in 1991. Currently, there are 51 Member Federations with the most recent addition being Kosovo in 2015.

I0isie91wzcw0ssk

History

The European Athletics manifesto - the written declaration of the intentions, motives and views of our organisation - is entitled "Your Sport for Life".
The manifesto is for those closely associated with European Athletics, the Congress (Member Federation leaders), the Council, the Executive Board, the Commissions and the Head Office. It is useful, though, for all external stakeholders of our sport.
The purpose of our manifesto is to provide the foundation for a shared understanding of, on the one hand, who we are and what we believe in, what we are doing and what we are aiming to achieve, and on the other hand, how we communicate.
In other words, it functions as a constant reminder about speaking &ldquo;with one voice&rdquo; and acts as a base and guide for all that we do.
INTRODUCTION
Since its establishment in 1970, European Athletics has served its Member Federations by working to promote the sport of athletics (including track &amp; field, cross country, road running, race walking and mountain running) throughout Europe.
Its role includes staging championships and elite competitions, which provide opportunities for Europe&rsquo;s top athletes to excel, showcase the sport, drive public interest in athletics and create the income necessary for other activities.&nbsp; It also includes leading the now 51 Member Federations and supporting their work in their countries as they reach out to engage more people and deliver all the forms and benefits of athletics.
The brand of European Athletics &ndash; in other words the values, symbols and meanings associated with the organisation and the sport &ndash; is an important tool for talking about and driving work in both these areas and, above all, strengthening the desired image of our sport.
To maximise the value of any brand it is necessary for those involved to understand and consistently communicate it so that audiences acquire the same understanding.&nbsp; This applies to athletics regardless of whether we are trying to sell tickets for an event, reporting results, promoting a programme or addressing an important issue.
The text below outlines the key elements of the European Athletics brand. It contains the messages and agreed wording that Member Federation communications managers should know and use in their day to day work. It also contains an overview of the European Athletics strategy and the 2016-2019 programme for delivering the strategy.
These messages will be packaged in different ways for presentation to various audiences, both by European Athletics and by others working for the good of the sport.&nbsp; But it is vital that they are well understood and, recognising the challenges linked to translation, communicated with wording as close to the original meaning as possible.
VALUES
When we speak about values we need to be aware that there are values inherent in the sport of athletics and the values that drive our organisations (European Athletics, the Member Federations and clubs).
The Values of Athletics
* Competition * Excellence * Fair Play and Sportsmanship * Discipline * Personal Development * Physical Fitness * Healthy Lifestyle * Equality * Inclusiveness This set of values helps to defines what is good and special about our sport.&nbsp; It is recognised that other sports share many of the same values but the design and the delivery of athletics emphasises these and demonstrates that for us these are more than words -- they are central to what we do. Organisational Values * Integrity * Unity * Social and Environmental Responsibility * Innovation&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This set of values indicates the ideals European Athletics is striving for as it works to operate and develop the sport of athletics in Europe.&nbsp;&nbsp; By its example, European Athletics hopes to lead its Member Federations to respect the same values in their work.
MISSION
"To grow our sport by leading, inspiring and enabling every European to enjoy a loyal relationship with athletics and receive its benefits for life&rdquo;
This simple statement is meant to give our stakeholders and the public a clear sense of what drives European Athletics and what it and its Member Federations are working towards.
The mission is at the heart of the strategy but it is not in itself the strategy or the plan for implementing the strategy. The test of any decision or activity should be "Is what we are doing in line with this mission? Is it contributing to achieving the mission?" SLOGAN "Your Sport for Life"
This slogan is a short, memorable phrase that summarises our brand proposition and positioning.
The demand of modern consumers, especially young people, is for choice. &ldquo;Your Sport&rdquo; implies that there are many possible forms of engagement with athletics &ndash; health and fitness enthusiast, elite athlete, coach, competition official, club volunteer, federation leader, spectator, television viewer, internet user, etc. &ndash; and that from any combination of these each individual&rsquo;s relationship with the sport can be customised to meet his or her current interests and needs.
European Athletics&rsquo; mission is to have a life-long relationship with every European, through different and changing activities in our sport &ndash; from competing as a junior or elite athlete to working as an official, and this is reflected in the &ldquo;for Life&rdquo; element of the slogan. There is also a double meaning as the values of athletics &ndash; personal development, fitness, healthy lifestyle, education, social and environment responsibility, etc. &ndash; all imply that a personal relationship with athletics will add to the quality of life.
LOGO
The European Athletics logo (see top of this page) is an attractive symbol that comprises three arcs, each representing one of the basic components of athletics: running/walking, jumping and throwing. The curve and positioning of the arcs lead the eye in three dimensions and create a feeling of movement. The result is best described by the word &ldquo;dynamic,&rdquo; which, of course, is often used to describe the sport as well.
The strong blue and yellow colours are meant to symbolise Europe, while the equally strong orange represents the sport of athletics.
One of the starting points for the design of the logo was how European Athletics unites three groups &ndash; Member Federations, athletes and fans &ndash; across Europe through the sport of athletics. As the arcs can also be seen as lanes on three running tracks, the logotype is sometimes referred to as &ldquo;United Tracks.&rdquo;
In 2008, the &ldquo;Your Sport for Life&rdquo; slogan was added below the logotype for use on the website and many other situations to give greater prominence to the strategy of using the sport&rsquo;s values to engage current and new audiences. The orange colour of the slogan indicates that these apply to athletics as a whole, emphasising European Athletics leadership of the sport in Europe.
STRATEGY OVERVIEW
The Challenge
The central challenge European Athletics over the coming decade will be to increase the relevance of athletics, both to individual Europeans and within European society.&nbsp; This means engaging more and more people and adding something meaningful to their lives.
In other words, we in athletics must deliver on our &ldquo;Your Sport for Life&rdquo; promise.
To do this we must first of all ensure that the sport is led and governed well and then we must embrace change where it is needed.
From a practical communications point of view we must effectively engage a wide range of audiences about what must remain constant &ndash; our values and, particularly, the integrity of the sport &ndash; and about the opportunities for each individual within the diverse ways that athletics can be experienced.&nbsp; This means using the appropriate channels and tools available.
Only by building greater awareness, popularity and loyalty are we likely to attract the additional support from governments, the media, commercial partners and volunteers we need to achieve any of the specific targets that we set.
The Pillars
Increasing relevance will involve work to build on two areas that are already strengths for athletics: 1) high-performance athletics and 2) the community of individuals actively engaged in some aspect of athletics.&nbsp;&nbsp; We call this our &ldquo;Twin-Pillar&rdquo; strategy.
High-Performance
This is the area that most people in athletics are familiar with and understand well.&nbsp; It is clearly strength that the sport&rsquo;s showcase events attract media attention, governmental support and commercial partnerships. At the international level and for most of our Member Federations, staging these events and preparing the athletes for them are the core business of athletics, the pillar that supports the sport.
To continue our success in this area the key issues that the sport, led by European Athletics, must address include: * Integrity &ndash; Athletics has long been a leader in the fight against doping.&nbsp; Maintaining this position, becoming more effective and communicating about our efforts are fundamental to the credibility of our sport. * The International Competition System &ndash; Top priority is to provide talented athletes with opportunities to excel by offering the best competition possibilities organised in a logical calendar.&nbsp; At the same time, major events, one-day meetings and other new competitions must be commercially successful and to do this they must keep up with the ever-increasing expectations of the media, sponsors and audiences. * Facilities &ndash; Around Europe, the stadia required for international competitions are under the threat of disappearing and local government and other owners must be convinced to reverse this trend.&nbsp; For many countries, the provision of the well-equipped facilities and training halls required for high performance athletics and grass roots activities is a priority. * Athlete Development &ndash; This includes all aspects of identifying, training and supporting talented athletes as they move along the performance pathway. The top-class performances across all athletics disciplines and the strengthening the overall performance level of athletics in Europe must create the stars that athletics, like any other sport, needs to attract the attention of large audiences, the media and the sponsors.
Although high-performance athletics is a valuable product, our sport will always be in a constant battle with other sports and other entertainment opportunities.&nbsp; Success in this area can never be taken for granted.&nbsp; Real work is required to address the various issues and hard choices need to be made.
Our vision is that these efforts will lead to a future in which anticipating the next important athletics competition on television, computer, mobile device or any other electronic or printed media becomes an important part of the lives of more and more Europeans.
The Athletics Community
The strength of athletics as a participation sport is built on the sport&rsquo;s simplicity, its accessibility and its values.&nbsp; In Europe we also profit from a strong organisational structure of Member Federations, clubs and other grassroots organisations. Although under-exploited in many countries, these are real differentiators and a comparative advantage.&nbsp; Athletics has proven to be capable of engaging a wider range of active participants and supporters, thereby creating a stronger community than in many other sports.&nbsp; To fully capitalise on these advantages initiatives will be required in the following: * Youth/Schools We must engage future generations and provide them with positive, life-enhancing experiences &ndash; whether competitive achievements or simply having fun and getting fit. Of course, athletics is up against other sports and the many choices young people to spend their time so we must be well organised and creative. * The Running Movement &ndash; We must re-connect to the runners, by far biggest group in athletics. They are diverse in their motivation, commitment, needs, likes and dislikes but in most cases running is important in their lives. We must offer them quality services for their encouragement. * Club Systems - Although systems and circumstances vary from country to country, the main structures for athletics activities are the more than 20,000 European athletics clubs and other grassroots organisations...&nbsp; Strengthening the national systems will help for clubs to deliver more and better services to young people, runners and other groups, and to attract additional resources. * Volunteers &ndash; Like many sports, athletics depends on volunteers and the value of all the sport&rsquo;s television and sponsorship contracts is dwarfed by the value of the time given by individuals of all ages to clubs, events and federations.&nbsp; As a sport, we must be aware of how we manage and renew this resource, particularly among young people, because there are many factors that will erode it.
There is a trend for the agendas of governments, commercial companies and the European Union to embrace values similar to those of athletics. To capitalise on this we must be pro-active as opportunities will emerge for federations, clubs and others in our sport to attract more resources. There must also be changes in the culture of athletics at different levels on how we provide services to different groups.&nbsp; Our vision is that strengthening the Athletics Community leads to athletics being recognised as offering relevance to individuals and society that goes beyond the elite pathway and showcase events, and that the activities involved attract the resources to strengthen our organisational structure at all levels.
PROGRAMME The programme for delivering the Twin-Pillar strategy from 2015 to 2019 comprises actions in five areas: 1) Member Federations, 2) Commercial Strength, 3) Athletes, 4) Competition and 5) Relevance.
Member Federations
The priorities in this area will be measures that aim to increase the financial stability and operational competence of federations. * A strategy and support measures to assist eligible federations in accessing European Union project funding for appropriate projects; * A comprehensive survey of all Member Federations to build understanding of their strengths, challenges and development needs;&nbsp; * A project to audit the anti-doping efforts of Member Federations, national anti-doping agencies and others in each country to improve effectiveness and credibility; * A European Athletics support programme, coordinated with the IAAF, customised for each Member Federation and aimed at e.g. o strengthening club systems, o developing sustainable business models, o robust anti-doping programmes;
* Communications and lobbying by the European Athletics President and Council members and other ambassadors to assist Member Federations in accessing support from their governments and other national agencies for the development of the sport including its facilities.
Commercial Strength The priorities in this area will be to tap the best minds available for their ideas and invest in measures that will alter European Athletics&rsquo; business model by creating new visibility and value.&nbsp; * Empower a new agency to manage the sales of European Athletics sponsorship rights; * New partnerships to create and deliver commercially attractive events; * Public research to understand what audiences and participants think of athletics and what they want (as opposed to what we think they want); * A professionally designed PR, digital and social media strategy; * Special measures to promote athletics in the years when the Olympic Games or World Championships are staged outside Europe; * Aggressive support for potential and confirmed host cities for European Athletics events.
Athletes
The priorities in this area will be measures that give a better deal to talented athletes by increasing the opportunities and support they need to excel and at the same time demonstrate their commitment to the sport and its values. * Financial incentives to attract the best athletes to the European Athletics Championships; * European only events in one-day meetings; * New competition and financial opportunities for European U23 athletes; * Targeted performance initiatives for Europe&rsquo;s weaker disciplines;
* Scholarships to support the post-career development of elite athletes; * Enhanced anti-doping education leading to a &ldquo;driver&rsquo;s license&rdquo; to compete for all youth, junior and U23 athletes; * Increased use of athlete ambassadors for promoting European Athletics events and programmes.
Competition
The priorities in this area will be to work closely with the IAAF and other stakeholders to restructure the international competition system and to deliver measures to help organisers increase the attractiveness their competitions. * Logical annual calendar with a clear narrative linking European one-day meetings and championships. * Fully integrated major events system (including youth, junior and U23 age groups); * Restructured European Team Championships; * Improved timetables and event presentation techniques at championships and other meetings in Europe; * Support for new and special events:
* Small nations event in years with no European Team Championships,
* Street and beach athletics events,
* Europe vs. USA match
* European Half Marathon Championships,
* European Relays. Relevance The priorities in this area will be to develop programmes to reach new audiences, attract new partners and realise the benefits that our leading federations are already enjoying. * Expanded services for joggers, recreational runners and serious club runners to make them feel part of our sport; * Improved school and club programmes to introduce children to athletics and retain them in our sport; * Improved links with the Masters Athletics movement; * Programmes to help federations and clubs serve the health and fitness markets; * Young volunteers programme linked to employability that supports other activities in athletics.

1260581 G08 W01

4jzzqq9q9rc4scc4

Your Sport For Life

In a departure from the usual face-to-face gathering held annually, due to the unprecedented circumstance that have affected athletics and the rest of public life for much of 2020,&nbsp; a&nbsp;European Athletics Executive Board meeting in June agreed to transform the European Athletics Convention - previously scheduled to take place in October this year in Tallinn, Estonia - into an online e-Convention.
This was due to prevailing health concerns, the ongoing uncertainty surrounding travel between many countries in Europe caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and the high probability that some Member Federations may not to be able to attend in person. The format of the e-Convention is available and detailed on the programme which is available to download&nbsp;<a href="https://www.european-athletics.org/mm/Document/Corporate/Whatwedo/01/29/09/55/e-Convention2020PreliminaryProgramme_Neutral.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>&nbsp;as well as on the right side of this page under RELATED DOCUMENTS.
The core part of the programme took place from 14-16 October with five additional workshops held during the following three weeks on 21/26/28 October and 2/4 November.
For more information contact:
European Athletics Phone: +41 21 313 43 50 E-mail:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:peter.stafford@european-athletics.org">convention@european-athletics.org</a>
The European Athletics Convention is designed to support our Member Federations, offering opportunities for education, networking, planning and debriefing as well as socialising, along with the usual area or interest group meetings and calendar planning activities.&nbsp;
The 2021 Convention is currently scheduled to take place as planned in Lausanne, Switzerland.
&nbsp;

6k24wanf4ngookcc

In a departure from the usual face-to-face gathering held annually, due to the unprecedented circumstance that have affected athletics and the rest of public life for much of 2020,  a European Athleti

e-Convention 2020

<h3 class="dcm-articleTitle">European Athletics Honours</h3>
The success and development of athletics in Europe depends on the incalculable contributions of time, effort and expertise made by individuals working at all levels of the sport. European Athletics regularly recognises those who have given the most through a system of honours, which according to its Constitution are awarded by decision of the Council.
<div><a href="https://www.european-athletics.org/european-athletics/what-we-do/honours-and-awards.html#HonoraryMembership">&raquo; Honorary Membership</a> <a href="https://www.european-athletics.org/european-athletics/what-we-do/honours-and-awards.html#PlaqueOfMerit">&raquo; Plaque of Merit</a> <a href="https://www.european-athletics.org/european-athletics/what-we-do/honours-and-awards.html#GoldenPin">&raquo; Golden Pin</a></div>
<a id="HonoraryMembership" tabindex="-1"></a>Honorary Council Membership Outgoing presidents of European Athletics are awarded the title Honorary President, which is presented at the European Athletics Congress. Currently, this title is held by Mr Hansj&ouml;rg Wirz (SUI) and Mr Carl-Olaf Hom&eacute;n (FIN), who served as the President from 1999-2015 and 1987-1999 respectively. Previously, the award was given to Sir Arthur Gold (GBR), who served as President from 1976 to 1987.
Outgoing Council members who have served three or more terms on the Council and other individuals who have given meritorious service to European Athletics are recognised with the title Honorary Council Member, which is presented at the European Athletics Congress.
<a id="PlaqueOfMerit" tabindex="-1"></a>Plaque of Merit The European Athletics Plaque of Merit is awarded to persons who have given outstanding service and assistance to the development of athletics or to the successful delivery of European Athletics events and projects.
This honour is typically given to outgoing Council members who have served two terms and others such as European Athletics Commission members, event organisers, journalists and administrators proposed by the Council or by Member Federations. It is presented at the European Athletics Congress.
<a id="GoldenPin" tabindex="-1"></a>Golden Pin The European Athletics Golden Pin is awarded to persons who have given special service and assistance to the development of athletics or to the successful delivery of European Athletics events and projects.
This honour is typically given to outgoing Council members who have served one term and others such as European Athletics Commission members, event organisers, journalists and administrators proposed by the Council or Member Federations. It is presented at the European Athletics Congress.
<h3 class="dcm-articleTitle">European Athletics Awards</h3>
<a href="https://www.european-athletics.org/european-athletics/what-we-do/honours-and-awards.html#MemberFederationAward">&raquo; Member Federation Award</a> <a href="https://www.european-athletics.org/european-athletics/what-we-do/honours-and-awards.html#EuropeanAthleticsCoachingAwards">&raquo; European Athletics Coaching Awards</a> <a href="https://www.european-athletics.org/european-athletics/what-we-do/honours-and-awards.html#EuropeanAthleticsWomenLeadershipAwards">&raquo; European Athletics Women's Leadership Awards</a>
<a id="MemberFederationAward" tabindex="-1"></a>Member Federation Award The European Athletics Member Federation Award is given to individuals who have dedicated a number of years of service to their national federation, European Athletics or both.
This honour is typically given to federation leaders, event organisers, coaches and others proposed by the president of their national federation. It may not be given to a current European Athletics Council member. It is normally given each year at national ceremonies and whenever possible a representative of the European Athletics Council makes the presentation.
<a id="EuropeanAthleticsCoachingAwards" tabindex="-1"></a>European Athletics Coaching Awards The European Athletics Coaching Awards recognise and celebrate the important contributions made by coaches to the sport of athletics.
The annual awards are the centrepiece of European Athletics' strategy to promote coaching at all levels of the sport.
The coach of each European Champion in the senior category is automatically nominated for the award.
In addition, all 51 European Athletics Member Federations are invited to nominate one additional male coach and one additional female coach per year based on the criteria &ldquo;excellence in coaching&rdquo;.
The first awards are given to one male and one female representative of all the winners at the Golden Tracks awards ceremony during the European Athletics Convention.
The remainder of the awards will be presented at national ceremonies.
<a id="EuropeanAthleticsWomenLeadershipAwards" tabindex="-1"></a>European Athletics Women's Leadership Awards The European Athletics Women's Leadership Awards recognise and celebrate the important contributions made by women throughout Europe to the sport of athletics.
The biennial awards, which were given for the first time in 2009, are the centrepiece of the European Athletics strategy to promote the development of women leaders and gender equity in the sport.
For the 2019 edition, 17 European Athletics Member Federations had a national winner whose work and accomplishments, other than in competition, were a significant contribution that served as an example of leadership and other values of the sport of athletics.
The next edition of these awards will be in 2021.

1289521 G08 W01

Honours & Awards

<div class="dcm-r clearfix ">
<div class="dcm-b dcm-noBoxTitle">
<div class="dcm-bC">
<article class="dcm-article dcm-articlePage" data-articleid="1254895">
<section class="dcm-mainSection">
Take our sport to your city and your city to our sport!
European Athletics has currently a programme of 10 different sporting events (Championships and Cups) and 2 corporate events (Congress and Convention) that represent 39 single events over a period of 4 years, all available for cities and national Member Federations to host.
From a European Athletics Championships with a full programme of stadium and out of stadium disciplines to the smaller scale specific disciplines&rsquo; events or from an Indoor to a Cross Country Championships, the offer is wide for cities to select an international athletics event to host as more adequate to their goals, dimension and resources.
Event bidding is the first stage for bringing one of the European Athletics&rsquo; events to a city in any of our Member Federations&rsquo; countries and our manual &ldquo;From Bidding to Hosting&rdquo; provides you with further information on the overall process how to become a host for a European Athletics Event.
We are pleased to introduce here the European Athletics Events portfolio at a glance but our team can guide you to&nbsp; evaluate&nbsp; the&nbsp; most&nbsp; adequate&nbsp; type&nbsp; of&nbsp; event&nbsp; for&nbsp; your&nbsp; City&nbsp; and&nbsp; Member&nbsp; Federation.&nbsp; For&nbsp; further&nbsp; details&nbsp; please contact us at:<a id="bidding@european-athletics.org" href="mailto:bidding@european-athletics.org">bidding@european-athletics.org</a>
</section>
</article>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="dcm-r clearfix ">
<div class="dcm-b dcm-noBoxTitle">
<div class="dcm-bC">
<section id="recListsAccordion" class="dcm-prevSeason-wrap accordion">
<div class="accordion-group">
<div class="accordion-heading">
<h5>EUROPEAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS</h5>
</div>
<div id="collapse1" class="accordion-body collapse in">
<div class="accordion-inner">
Our flagship event the European Athletics Championships are the showcase of elite athletics at its very best held every two years.
The European Athletics Championships on non-Olympic year are staged within a multi-sport event and therefore part of a separate bidding process. The edition staged in the Olympic year is organised every four years, runs over six days with over 1500 athletes from 51 Member Federations and brings great visibility to the&nbsp; city&nbsp; with&nbsp; a&nbsp; stadium&nbsp; and&nbsp; out&nbsp; of&nbsp; stadium&nbsp; full&nbsp; programme.&nbsp;
To hold the qualification of a field event in an emblematic venue in the city and a mass participation race will make all&nbsp; citizens to feel to be part of the Championships.
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="accordion-group">
<div class="accordion-heading">
<h5>EUROPEAN ATHLETICS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS</h5>
</div>
</div>
<div class="accordion-group">
<div class="accordion-heading">
<h5>EUROPEAN ATHLETICS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS</h5>
</div>
</div>
<div class="accordion-group">
<div class="accordion-heading">
<h5>SPAR EUROPEAN CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS</h5>
</div>
</div>
<div class="accordion-group">
<div class="accordion-heading">
<h5>EUROPEAN ATHLETICS U23 CHAMPIONSHIPS</h5>
</div>
</div>
<div class="accordion-group">
<div class="accordion-heading">
<h5>EUROPEAN ATHLETICS U20 CHAMPIONSHIPS</h5>
</div>
</div>
<div class="accordion-group">
<div class="accordion-heading">
<h5>EUROPEAN ATHLETICS U18 CHAMPIONSHIPS</h5>
</div>
</div>
<div class="accordion-group">
<div class="accordion-heading">
<h5>EUROPEAN RACE WALKING TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS</h5>
</div>
</div>
<div class="accordion-group">
<div class="accordion-heading">
<h5>EUROPEAN THROWING CUP</h5>
</div>
</div>
<div class="accordion-group">
<div class="accordion-heading">
<h5>EUROPEAN ATHLETICS OFF ROAD RUNNING CHAMPIONSHIPS</h5>
</div>
</div>
<div class="accordion-group">
<div class="accordion-heading">
<h5>EUROPEAN 10,000m CUP</h5>
</div>
</div>
</section>
</div>
</div>
</div>

1290231 G08 W01

European Athletics has currently a programme of 10 different sporting events (Championships and Cups) and 2 corporate events (Congress and Convention) that represent 39 single events over a period of 

Event Hosting

European Athletics is committed to keeping its athletes healthy and to its zero-tolerance policy with respect to doping. 
The role of the medical sector in athletics is crucial, with European Athletics in collaboration with World Athletics making its own vital contribution to the area of medicine and sports science.
From anti-doping to injury data, European Athletics is keeping constantly abreast of athletics&rsquo; medical situation in the sport's ever-changing world.
Studies and surveys commissioned by European Athletics provide invaluable data about injury patterns and risks, helping to increase the safety of athletes competing at European Athletics events.
The European Athletics Medical and Anti-Doping Commission has adopted the World Athletics Medical Guidelines for European Athletics events.
European Athletics emphasises that all competitions should be held under the appropriate conditions that assure a healthy and safe environment for all participants to compete.
The guidelines are based on recommendations of leading practitioners who provide medical care at athletics, road racing and race-walking competitions.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Definition of Doping Doping means not only cheating by taking substances or using methods that are listed on the annual WADA List of prohibited substances and methods, but also violating any other World Athletics Anti-Doping Rule or this of your National Federation.
Health impact/side effects of Doping Doping&nbsp;by using&nbsp;<a href="https://www.athleticsintegrity.org/know-the-rules/understand-the-prohibited-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">prohibited substances or methods</a>&nbsp;not only threatens&nbsp;our sport, it also harms your health. Most of the products used as&nbsp;doping substances are medicines developed and used for healing&nbsp;diseases. In such cases, side effects are accepted. However, taking drugs&nbsp;when you are not ill means that you may suffer severe side effects but&nbsp;no healing effect.​
Rules and Regulations The rules and regulations that are important in connection with or in dealing with matters of&nbsp;Anti-Doping are the <a href="https://www.wada-ama.org/en/what-we-do/the-code%E2%80%8B">WADA Code</a>, the <a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/documents/book-of-rules">World Athletics&nbsp;Anti-Doping Regulations</a>&nbsp;and the codes of your National Federation or National Anti-Doping-Organisation. See the related links to the right of this text for more information.
Such rules and regulations also define Anti-Doping rule violations and procedures. So you should study them carefully. Be sure that you always working with the latest version of&nbsp;both the rules and the Anti-Doping codes as changes&nbsp;can occur.
In particular the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wada-ama.org/en/what-we-do/the-prohibited-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WADA List of Prohibited Substance and Methods</a> is reviewed by WADA every year. The existing WADA Code came into effect on 1 January 2015 with amendments made in 2019.
Nutritional Supplements Nutritional supplements are very popular among athletes. It is said that they have positive impact on health and performance, however, this has never been proven by scientific study.
On the contrary, some studies show that they may have negative impact on health. In any case: by taking nutritional supplements you always take the risk of an adverse analytical finding. Previous cases have shown that athletes were tested positive due to contaminated supplements. No excuses were accepted ... so, be careful!
Contact<a href="mailto:competition@european-athletics.org"> European Athletics&nbsp;Competition Department</a> and the experts&nbsp;represented in our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.european-athletics.org/european-athletics/who-we-are/commissions.html%E2%80%8B">Medical and Anti-Doping Commission</a> will always provide as much support&nbsp;as we can particular in areas of&nbsp;medical&nbsp;or Anti-Doping matters. If you have any questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact us: European Athletics Competition Department Avenue Louis-Ruchonnet 16 CH-1003 Lausanne, Switzerland Telephone: +41 21 313 43 56/52/63 Fax: +41 21 313 43 51 email: <a href="mailto:competition@european-athletics.org">anti-doping@european-athletics.org</a> web: <a href="http://www.european-athletics.org/">www.european-athletics.org</a>
&nbsp;
Testing
As part of European Athletics drive to eradicate doping from our sport we focus not only on education, but tests,&nbsp;in particular pre- and in-competition tests to ensure that competing athletes are clean and healthy.&nbsp;
If you want to know what to do should you be&nbsp;asked to provide a sample, please click on the link below:&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.wada-ama.org/en/resources/education-and-prevention/doping-control-process-for-athletes">Step-by-step description of the doping control process</a>
And for more information on European Athletics' I Run Clean e-learning programme, please click on the link below:
<a href="https://www.irunclean.org/Home/Cultures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I Run Clean</a>

1270718 G08 W01

Medical & Anti-Doping

European Athletics Integrity Platform
Good Governance has become a key topic for all sports organisations to consider and address in recent years, and European Athletics has not been an exception.
Despite the solid grounds in which governance is already established in our organisation, European Athletics is constantly seeking improvements to the way it operates and performs in this area.
Consequently, European Athletics has created two important tools to enhance and expand its Good Governance practices:
<ul>
<li>The EAA Code of Ethics</li>
<li>The European Athletics Integrity Platform</li>
</ul>
The background to creating these new tools can be traced back two years. In October 2015, the European Athletics Extraordinary Congress had already approved the creation of an EAA Court as an independent body to hear and resolve disputes and breaches to our Constitution and also to act as an Ethics Commission. This was an important step in strengthening our Good Governance practices.
Subsequently, with the revision of the IAAF Constitution in November 2016, our sport&rsquo;s world governing body has created an Integrity Code of Conduct and an Integrity Unit to fit its role and new approach to Governance.
European Athletics had already adopted the previous IAAF Code of Ethics but felt there was a need to create our own code &ndash; the EAA Code of Ethics &ndash; which would have direct relevance to our organisation (see Related Documents).
In parallel with the creation of the EAA Code of Ethics, European Athletics has developed a portal &ndash; the European Athletics Integrity Platform &ndash; that will allow for anyone to report potential or suspected breaches of the EAA Code of Ethics.
People with evidence, or even just concerns, of integrity and good governance shortfalls &ndash; whether it relates to an individual athlete, coach, official or an institution &ndash; can now report these failings, and can do so anonymously with the assurance that they will be examined and investigated by independent legal experts.
The European Athletics Integrity Platform is highly secure and will run independently from the European Athletics website.
It allows anonymous reports but still enables exchanges with the reporter, if needed, through an incident number and a password created, and only known by, the same reporter.
European Athletics staff and officials will have no access to the report submitted and it will be handled by an independent Case Manager, who will further investigate and take the appropriate action which could mean filing the case with the EAA Court, which will perform its tasks in its dual role as the Ethics Commission.
The European Athletics Integrity Platform can be accessed through the following link: <a href="https://european-athletics.integrityplatform.org/" target="_self">https://european-athletics.integrityplatform.org/</a>
On the platform&rsquo;s main page you can find all the instructions and FAQs to assist in its use.
The European Athletics Integrity Platform and the EAA Code of Ethics are closely linked, considering that the EAA Code of Ethics is the legal basis on which the platform operates. However, this has required amending the existing EAA Court Procedural Rules accordingly. (The revised version of these Rules are available as Related Documents).
We believe these initiatives show a strong commitment from European Athletics to act as a responsible and forward-thinking organisation in the field of Good Governance and we are encouraging our Member Federations to promote the existence of the platform as widely as possible as well as suggesting that they provide a link to it on their own website.
Athletics is fundamentally about fair play and clean competition and European Athletics has been a leader within our sport at introducing governance reforms &ndash; Good Governance is critically important in restoring public faith in our sport which has been shaken badly in recent years &ndash;.and this online platform is an extension of our ongoing work in this area.

1281351 G08 W01

European Athletics Integrity                                         Platform

European Athletics

In the fifth episode of European Athletics' mini-documentary series&nbsp;My Story,&nbsp;Croatia's Sandra Perkovic narrates her path from throwing 35 metres to becoming the first athlete in any event to win five European titles in the same event.
Perkovic also remembers some of the key figures who have helped her along the way, including her mother who she described as her biggest supporter. "She taught me that every year I need to work like it's my last year and I need to give more than one hundred percent," said Perkovic who also recalled how she surprised her by coming to watch her win her fifth title at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships.
Initially a shot putter in her formative years in the sport, Perkovic soon found her niche in the discus. Her long-time coach Ivan Ivancic, who died in 2014 shortly after Perkovic won her third European title in Zurich, predicted that she would one day become an Olympic champion even when she was only throwing the discus 35 metres.
"Ivan is a very important person in my life...he showed me the way, he gave me his best advice, he gave me power, courage and respect for the others. I'm still using those gifts from him," said Perkovic.
The episode can be watched in its entirely in the video below.&nbsp;
The sixth episode featuring reigning world and European long jump champion Malaika Mihambo will be published later this month.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/25mfjGTaFKU" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
"I want to be remembered as the best female discus athlete ever." Sandra Perkovic

My Story Thumbnail Perkovic Nologo V4 Min

Perkovic: “I want to be remembered as the best female discus athlete ever”

Long jumper Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk and hammer thrower Myhaylo Kokhan have been voted Ukrainian Athletes of the Year for 2020.
Despite a turbulent year caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Bekh-Romanchuk and Kokhan both amassed notable summer campaigns. Bekh-Romanchuk won two events on the Diamond League circuit in the long jump and Kokhan, the reigning European U18 and U20 champion, improved his lifetime best in the hammer.
There were three stages to the voting. Fans, experts (the Ukrainian Athletic Association council) and media representatives all had their say, each accounting for one-third of the total vote.
"Back in June, we didn't expect anything special,&rdquo; Bekh-Romanchuk told the Ukrainian Athletic Association. &ldquo;It was said that Diamond Leagues were due to be staged but no one gave a one hundred percent guarantee. Therefore, all spring and half of the summer I trained in a light mode: I exercised once a day, purely to keep fit. It was not until late June-early July that the opportunity to compete became more apparent, but until we boarded the plane, there was no certainty.&rdquo;
Bekh-Romanchuk won five of her eight long jump competitions outdoors in 2020 which was highlighted by Diamond League victories in Stockholm (6.85m) and Doha (6.91m). Bekh-Romanchuk also went unbeaten through the indoor season and set an outright lifetime best of 6.96m at the Copernicus Cup in Torun, the host venue of the European Athletics Indoor Championships in March.
On the men&rsquo;s side, 19-year-old Kokhan topped the voting for the second year in succession. Despite being classified as an U20 in 2020, Kokhan still won five of his eight competitions with the senior implement and extended his lifetime best to 77.78m at the Istvan Gyulai Memorial in Szekesfehervar. He also won the Balkan senior title in Cluj-Napoca and crowned his illustrious junior career with gold at the Balkan U20 Championships.
&ldquo;Fortunately, I had the opportunity to compete in August and September: there were competitions in Ukraine and there were invitations to international tournaments. I also performed at the Balkan U20 and senior championships. But despite all the difficulties, I managed to improve my personal record in Sz&eacute;kesfeh&eacute;rv&aacute;r. We survived this year and are full of motivation for 2021,&rdquo; he said.

Gettyimages 1161204175 Min

Bekh-Romanchuk and Kokhan voted Ukrainian Athletes of the Year

In the fourth episode of European Athletics&rsquo; mini-documentary series My Story, Nafissatou Thiam reflects on her career all the way from winning a pot of jam for winning a cross country race in Belgium to winning the European heptathlon title in Berlin.&nbsp;
That gold medal secured the set of major heptathlon titles at the age of 23. Thiam is also one of only four women to surpass the 7000 points-barrier but the Belgian believes she will be at her peak at the Tokyo Olympics next year.
&ldquo;Tokyo was always the target,&rdquo; said Thiam. &ldquo;I know I can do something big because I&rsquo;m so much stronger now.&rdquo;
The full episode can be watched in full below and all previous episodes can be watched in their entirety on our YouTube channel.
The fifth episode of #MyStory will be published at 6pm on Thursday 7 January.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TDSB1V2kyPQ" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

My Story Thumbnail Thiam Nologo V2 Min

Thiam: “I know I can do something big in Tokyo because I’m so much stronger now”

World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver and Bronze Meetings

World record-holder and World Athlete of the Year Armand Duplantis will open his 2021 season at the ISTAF Indoor in Dusseldorf, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver Meeting, on Sunday 31 January.
Duplantis also opened his season last year with a victory in Dusseldorf with a 6.00m clearance albeit at a different venue. This year&rsquo;s meeting takes place at the much larger ISS-Dome rather than the intimate setting of the Arena-Sportpark although no spectators will be present this year due to safety and sanitary protocols.
In a rematch of the World Athletics Championships, Duplantis will face two-time world champion Sam Kendricks from the United States - the last pole vaulter to defeat Duplantis - and world bronze medallist Piotr Lisek from Poland. World fourth-placer Bo Kanda Lita Baehre and former world champion Raphael Holzdeppe will provide the domestic interest.
On the track, treble European champion Dina Asher-Smith will be embarking on an indoor season for the first time since 2018. The Brit, who won her first individual senior medal in the 60m at the 2015 European Indoor Championships when she was still a teenager, is already confirmed for Karlsruhe (29 January), D&uuml;sseldorf (31 January) and Lievin (9 February) over the next fortnight. Her lifetime best of 7.08 dates back to the 2015 European Indoor Championships.
In D&uuml;sseldorf, Asher-Smith will face in-form Swiss sprinter Ajla Del Ponte as well as leading Germans Lisa-Marie Kwayie, Tatjana Pinto, Rebekka Haase and Jennifer Montag.
The organisers have also recruited reigning European indoor and outdoor champions to compete in the 60m hurdles. Reigning European indoor champion Nadine Visser from the Netherlands goes head-to-head with the very experienced Alina Talay from Belarus in the women&rsquo;s 60m hurdles and reigning European 110m hurdles champion Pascal Martinot-Lagarde is confirmed for the men&rsquo;s 60m hurdles.
After a low-key outdoor season in 2020, Martinot-Lagarde showed sharp early season form with a 7.54 clocking in Miramas on Friday evening.
In total, the programme will consist of six events: a men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s 60m and 60m hurdles as well as a women&rsquo;s long jump and a men&rsquo;s pole vault. More names will be announced in the coming days.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We are extremely happy that so many exceptional international and German athletes want to come to D&uuml;sseldorf in this challenging time,&rdquo; said meeting director Martin Seeber. &ldquo;It is an important opportunity to compete at the highest level at the beginning of the Olympic year in the unique ISTAF Indoor atmosphere. We are continuing to work on presenting great athletes in all six disciplines.&rdquo;
The ISTAF Indoor will be live streamed <a href="https://www.sportschau.de/weitere/leichtathletik/videostream-livestream---istaf-indoor-in-duesseldorf-100.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> from 12pm local-time on Sunday.

Duplantis and Asher-Smith to bring star power to Dusseldorf

BERLIN, BERLIN - AUGUST 07:  Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain & Northern Ireland celebrates winning the gold medal in the Women's 100 meters Final during day one of the 24th European Athletics Championships at Olympiastadion on August 7, 2018 in Berlin, Germany.  (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images for European Athletics)

Gettyimages 1012841578

European Athletics Indoor Championships

Four of Ukraine's five medals at the last European Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow came in the field events and the Ukrainian cohort competing in Torun are poised to be similarly successful on the in-field from 4-7 March.
But what the Ukrainian team in Glasgow two years ago lacked was a gold medal from their travelling contingent to the Emirates Arena. However, they will have two excellent title candidates in the high jump with perennial two metre-plus performers Yuliya Levchenko and Yaroslava Mahuchikh both planning to compete in Torun.
Still only 23, Levchenko will be looking to complete the full set of European indoor medals. She won her first major senior medal as a teenager with bronze in Belgrade before improving to silver in Glasgow behind reigning world and European champion Mariya Lasitskene.
Levchenko, who has been training at home in Ukraine this winter, opened her competitive season at the Christmas Starts in Kyiv where she showed good early season shape with a 1.96m clearance on her first attempt.
&ldquo;We have a wonderful arena in Berezniaky where we continue to train in the winter. If I'm lucky I will have two or three international tournaments but this still needs to be confirmed because some countries are cancelling and postponing competitions so I can't say anything for sure yet,&rdquo; Levchenko told the Ukraine Athletic Federation in a recent interview.
After missing some key domestic competitions in 2020 due to injuries and schedule conflicts, Levchenko is also looking forward to taking part in two big events on the Ukrainian calendar including her national indoor championships. This could prove to be one of the most competitive women's high jump competitions of the entire winter season given the depth of talent in the Ukrainian ranks.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;My coach also plans that we will perform at the Ukrainian Indoor Team Championships and at the Ukrainian Indoor Championship. These are competitions we are always preparing for...and of course, the European Indoor Championships in March. If all goes well with health, we will do a full indoor season without missing any competitions.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
Levchenko finished second at the Christmas Starts meetings behind the precocious 19-year-old Mahuchikh who showed formidable early season form with a first-time clearance at 2.02m to equal her indoor lifetime best.&nbsp;
The European U18 and U20 champion didn&rsquo;t register a single failure between 1.80m and 2.02m and she concluded her campaign by taking three attempts at 2.04m. This would have matched her outright lifetime best which was set at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha.
&ldquo;After a successful attempt at 2.02m, I ordered a height of 2.04m. If I cleared it, it would have been a new national record. The second attempt was not bad, but before the third I had to measure the run-up again,&rdquo; rued Mahuchikh.
On her plans for the rest of the indoor season, she said: &ldquo;As for the competitions, I was sent invitations for competitions in Udine at the end of January and in Bansk&aacute; Bystrica on February 2. We will also prepare for the European Indoor Championships in March.&rdquo;
World and European long jump silver medallist Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk began her season with a rare outing in the 60m in Kyiv where she clocked 7.58, just 0.01 shy of her lifetime best in the event.
This augurs well for Bekh-Romanchuk's upcoming competitions in the long jump but like with so many athletes, her competition schedule is yet to be fully confirmed. However, the European Indoor Championships in Torun is a key competition on her calendar.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s still hard to say when I will compete because the calendar is still not confirmed. We still do not know what will be held in Europe, because many competitions are canceled or postponed. In addition, there are very few women's long jump competitions on the programme this year.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I hope that there will be at least two tournaments abroad and I will be able to compete against good company. But everything is so unstable that I do not know what will happen. However, we plan to take part in the European Indoor Championships which will be held in Torun,&rdquo; she said.
Bekh-Romanchuk won bronze in the long jump in Glasgow 2019 behind Serbia&rsquo;s Ivana Spanovic who won the title for the third successive time.

Leading Ukrainian field eventers to challenge for medals in Torun

Gettyimages 1167601547 Min

Kevin Mayer and Nafissatou Thiam took a double in the combined events at the Belgrade 2017 European Athletics Indoor Championships and they have both expressed an interest in challenging for more continental honours in Torun from 4-7 March.
Mayer broke the European indoor heptathlon record in the Serbian capital four years ago with a score of 6479 points, one year before he reached the pinnacle of his career by breaking Ashton Eaton&rsquo;s world decathlon record in Talence, France with 9126 points.
His following two seasons might have been curtailed by injury but Mayer secured the Olympic qualifying standard for Tokyo just before Christmas in Reunion with a 2020 world leading score of 8552 points. These will be Mayer's third Olympic Games after London 2012 and Rio 2016 when he won silver behind Eaton.
Based on the combined 2019 and 2020 European decathlon list, this score also handsomely qualified Mayer for the heptathlon in Torun along with the Estonian duo of Maicel Uibo and Janek Oiglane, Kai Kazmirek from Germany and Pieter Braun from the Netherlands.&nbsp;
Thiam followed up her Olympic heptathlon triumph in 2016 with her first European senior title in the pentathlon in Belgrade the following winter. Thiam scored a still-standing lifetime best of 4870 points in the Kombank Arena, setting a championship best of 1.96m in the high jump en route to the title.
Other qualified athletes for the pentathlon in Torun include world bronze medallist Verena Preiner from and her Austrian teammate Ivona Dadic, the silver medallist behind Thiam in Belgrade four years ago. Hungary&rsquo;s Xenia Krizsan and Nadine Broersen from the Netherlands are also due to compete in Torun.
The remaining places shall be allocated to athletes based on their position on the 2021 European pentathlon and heptathlon list as of ten days prior to the first day of the European Athletics Indoor Championships.
The full list of qualified athletes and the qualifying process for the combined events in Torun 2021 can be found <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/public/uploads/european-athletics/originals/f3d504d0-ffed-4fb2-ad7b-25623fa20498.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Mayer and Thiam spearhead early combined events entrants for Torun

BERLIN, GERMANY - AUGUST 09:  Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium reacts as she competes in the Women's Heptathlon High Jump during day three of the 24th European Athletics Championships at Olympiastadion on August 9, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. This event forms part of the first multi-sport European Championships.  (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Gettyimages 1013768314

Belgium&rsquo;s Noor Vidts finished 2020 at the top of the world indoor pentathlon list and the 24-year-old has put herself in a very strong position to qualify for the Torun 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships which begins on 4 March.
Vidts set an early season world leading mark and lifetime best of 4665 points at the X-Athletics Meeting in Aubiere on Sunday (24), winning by over 200 points from Benin&rsquo;s Odile Ahouanwanou (4461 points) and Poland&rsquo;s Paulina Ligarska (4405 points).
Vidts concluded her competition with individual indoor lifetime bests with 6.42m in the long jump and 2:14.30 in the 800m which took her overall tally beyond her previous lifetime best of 4629 points.
&ldquo;I am really happy with the result. I didn&rsquo;t expect it at all,&rdquo; said Vidts.
Based on this result, Vidts will almost certainly join her compatriot Nafissatou Thiam in Torun this March. The top six athletes on the 2021 European pentathlon list will all secure their tickets to compete in the Arena Torun.&nbsp;
In the heptathlon, Rik Taam from the Netherlands also set an early season world lead of 6001 points.
Swiss combined eventers also showed good early season form in individual events in St. Gallen on Sunday. The multi-talented European U20 decathlon champion Simon Ehammer clocked 7.84 in the 60m hurdles to eclipse the qualifying standard for Torun and also reached out to 7.63m in the long jump.
His teammate Annik Kalin, the European U20 heptathlon bronze medallist, also followed suit with 8.19 in the women&rsquo;s 60m hurdles.
Schwanitz returns with 19.11m world lead
Competing for the first time since the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Christina Schwanitz didn&rsquo;t elicit any signs of lacking in form and sharpness on her return to the ring in Chemnitz on Sunday.
Now 35, Schwanitz pushed out to a world leading mark of 19.11m with her sixth attempt to comfortably exceed the qualifying standard for Torun 2021.
Her compatriots Sara Gambetta and Katharina Maisch also surpassed the 18 metre-line with 18.18m and 18.12m respectively.&nbsp;
German sprinters also showed good early season form across the weekend. Competing in Chemnitz at a separate meeting on Friday (22) evening, German relay stalwart Rebekka Haase clocked 7.26 and 7.27 in two 60m races and 23.09 in the 200m and Corinna Schwab clocked a European leading 52.27 in the 400m.
There was also fast sprinting the following day in Leverkusen (23) where Tatjana Pinto and Jennifer Montag clocked 7.18 and 7.24 respectively in separate 60m races.
Elsewhere around Europe&hellip;
Olympic champion Ryan Crouser captured the headlines by smashing the world indoor record with 22.82m in Fayetteville on Sunday (24) but one of Europe&rsquo;s leading exponents also made an auspicious season&rsquo;s opener at the Czech Indoor League in Prague on Saturday.
Tomas Stanek produced his second best ever season&rsquo;s opener with 21.48m in the shot put while three-time world and European indoor 400m champion Pavel Maslak dropped down in distance to win the 200m in 21.02.&nbsp;
At the Quality Hotel Games in Vaxjo, Sweden Thobias Montler went over the eight metre-line in his first long jump competition of the year with 8.06m and youngster Carl Bengtstrom improved to 46.35 in the 400m.&nbsp;
European U23 1500m champion Ignacio Fontes from Spain won a very competitive domestic 3000m in Valencia on Saturday (23) in a world-leading time of 7:50.33 just ahead of Jesus Gomez (7:50.38), Fernando Carro (7:50.54) and Daniel Arce (7:50.64), all of whom were under the previous world lead of 7:51.64.&nbsp;
Ersu Sasma broke the outright Turkish pole vault record in Istanbul on Saturday. The 21-year-old cleared 5.71m on his second attempt to eclipse the long-standing record by just one centimetre.
This was an especially poignant moment for Sasma whose coach Halil Ibrahim Comlekci tragically died of a heart attack only five days before the competition.&nbsp;

DOHA, QATAR - OCTOBER 02: Noor Vidts of Belgium competes in the Women's Heptathlon Shot Put during day six of 17th IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 at Khalifa International Stadium on October 02, 2019 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Gettyimages 1178604715

Vidts tallies world pentathlon lead of 4665 points on the road to Torun

After a low-key 2020 season, reigning European 110m hurdles champion Pascal Martinot-Lagarde began his indoor season in sharp form at the Meeting Elite de Miramas on Friday (22) evening.
Martinot-Lagarde opened his account with a 7.64 clocking in the 60m hurdles heats but the 29-year-old powered to an even faster time in the final. Pushed all the way by his long-time domestic rival Wilhem Belocian, Martinot-Lagarde stopped the clock at a world leading 7.54 with Belocian a very close runner-up in 7.57.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;I am one-tenth away from my personal best, it&rsquo;s not bad,&rdquo; said Martinot-Lagarde as reported by L&rsquo;Equipe.&nbsp;
</blockquote>
As always, Martinot-Lagarde is planning a full indoor season and his next race will be in Karlsruhe, Germany on Friday when he faces reigning world indoor champion Andrew Pozzi from Great Britain who also succeeded Martinot-Lagarde as the European indoor champion in 2017.&nbsp;
The Frenchman will also go head-to-head with reigning world outdoor champion Grant Holloway from the United States at the Meeting de l&rsquo;Eure in Val-de-Reuil on 14 February.
Martinot-Lagarde&rsquo;s indoor season will climax at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun from 4-7 March when he will be looking to make the podium in the 60m hurdles for the fifth successive edition.
Cyrena Samba-Mayela also set an early season world lead of 8.06 in the 60m hurdles heat but the youngster had the misfortune of false-starting in the final which was won by Laura Valette in 8.10.
Other highlights included Carolle Zahi winning the women&rsquo;s 60m in 7.19 and steeplechase specialist Djilali Bedrani winning the 1500m in 3:41.16.

Gettyimages 1014659478 Min

Martinot-Lagarde impresses with a 7.54 60m hurdles world lead in Miramas

Renaud Lavillenie officially enters the veteran ranks when he celebrates his 35th birthday in September but the grand old man of the pole vault made a sterling season&rsquo;s opener at the Star Perche Officiel in Bordeaux on Saturday (16).
On the road to the Torun 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships, Lavillenie cleared 5.92m on his second attempt to equal his best ever season&rsquo;s opener. His clearance was also a world lead albeit for only a few hours after 21-year-old KC Lightfoot cleared 5.94m in Lubbock, Texas later in the day.
Vaulting off a 16-step approach, Lavillenie sealed the victory over his younger brother Valentin with a second-time clearance at 5.82m. The manner in which he cleared that height suggested the next height of 5.92m wasn&rsquo;t an insuperable task and the former world record-holder duly wriggled over the crossbar at the second time of asking.
The Frenchman concluded his competition by taking three unsuccessful attempts at 6.00m, a height Lavillenie hasn&rsquo;t conquered since the 2016 World Indoor Championships in Portland.
&ldquo;But that is the objective this season,&rdquo; said Lavillenie as quoted by L&rsquo;Equipe. &ldquo;I cleared 5.80m in training and the objective today was 5.90m. I still have four steps to add and this will give me more speed. The signs are good.&rdquo;
Lavillenie&rsquo;s next competitions will be in Karlsruhe, Germany on 29 January and then in Tourcoing two days later on 31 January.&nbsp;
There were two national indoor records in the women&rsquo;s competition as training partners Femke Pluim from the Netherlands and Fanny Smets from Belgium both cleared 4.51m to ameliorate their previous records.
Pluim added one centimetre to her five-year-old record while Smets decimated her previous national indoor record of 4.40m. Her clearance at 4.51m also equals her outright Belgian record which she set in 2018.&nbsp;
Switzerland&rsquo;s Angelica Moser also cleared 4.51m to finish third on countback.
Elsewhere around Europe...
World and European long jump champion Malaika Mihambo opened her season with a third-place finish in the 60m at the Frankfurt Winter Cup on Saturday (16), clocking 7.49 in a race won by Lisa Mayer in a swift 7.26.
Mihambo competed in the long jump the following day and jumping off an abbreviated approach, the 26-year-old reached out to 6.52m to finish second on countback to Maryse Luzolo.
Fellow long jumper Khaddi Sagnia showed newfound speed on her season's debut in Gothenburg on Sunday (17). Sagnia smashed her lifetime best in the 60m with 7.26 which gives Sagnia the option of contesting the 60m as well as the long jump at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun.
European U23 100m champion Henrik Larsson won the 60m in 6.69 and Carl Bengstrom won the 400m in 47.01.
Fellow European U23 champion Ignacio Fontes clocked 3:40.76 in the 1500m in Antequera on Sunday (17).
Veteran Serbian shot putter Asmir Kolasinac, the 2013 European indoor champion, threw 20.40m in Belgrade on Saturday (16) to defeat Mesud Pezer from Bosnia &amp; Herzegovina with 20.30m. There was also another national record for Darko Pesic from Montenegro who won the 60m hurdles in 7.95.&nbsp;
European U18 and U20 heptathlon champion Maria Vicente achieved a promising set of results on her season's debut in San Sebastian on Saturday (16). Vicente won the 200m in 23.88 and the long jump with 6.21m.&nbsp;

BERLIN, GERMANY - AUGUST 12:  Renaud Lavillenie of France reacts in the Men's Pole Vault final during day six of the 24th European Athletics Championships at Olympiastadion on August 12, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. This event forms part of the first multi-sport European Championships.  (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Gettyimages 1015681594

Resurgent Lavillenie clears 5.92m in Bordeaux

The European Athletics High Performance Webinar series has been extended through until mid-June to ensure learning can continue and ideas can still be shared in spite of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The series recommences on Friday 8 January with a lecture entitled &lsquo;Rebuilding stronger - lessons learned from the pandemic&rsquo; which will be given by Swiss international hammer thrower Martin Bingisser.
This is one of three one hour-long lectures which will be given in January, and one of 13 which are due to take place across the next six months. To register for the High Performance Webinar series, please click on <a href="https://register.event-works.com/ea/ea_HPWS_2021/e/cp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this link</a> and follow the instructions.
The High Performance Webinar series is aimed predominantly at coaches, sport scientists and other medical staff such as doctors and physios as well as athletes. The full schedule can be found <a href="https://twitter.com/hannengland/status/1346892199720574977" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.&nbsp;
Further details on the European Athletics High Performance Webinar series can be obtained from the European Athletics Development Department at development@european-athletics.org.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Dsc 8401 Min 2

European Athletics High Performance Webinar series to recommence on Friday

The track for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Barcelona 1995, provided by the European Athletics Preferred Supplier Mondo, is being installed once again in the Catalan City&rsquo;s famous Palau Sant Jordi.
Work started on Monday this week (28) to re-install the track after an absence of nearly 25 years, which was noted at the time back in the mid-1990s for its innovative red, yellow and blue colour scheme.
The first indoor athletics competition at the Palau Sant Jordi for more than 25 years is scheduled for weekend of 16 and 17 January.
After the 1995 World Athletics Indoor Championships, the hydraulic banked track, which was among the first in Europe, was moved about 30 kilometres to nearby Vilafranca del Penedes where it staged more than 10 indoor meetings a year between 1996 to 2010 including a number of national championships.
The track has been based in the neighbouring city of Sabadell for the last decade but with the Sant Oleguer indoor arena there being used as a temporary hospital during the coronavirus pandemic, an agreement was reached recently between the Barcelona City Council and the Catalan Athletics Federation for the much-travelled track to return to where is first saw top class competition.
The Palau Sant Jordi was the main indoor arena during the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, where is staged the artistic gymnastics competitions as well as volleyball and handball matches. In more recent times, the Palau has become one of Spain&rsquo;s major venues for large scale concerts but with such events currently not taking place due to the pandemic, it was time for the six-lane track (with an eight-lane straight in the middle) to &lsquo;come home&rsquo; to ensure the region can continue to stage international indoor meetings like those that have taken place in Sabadell on the same track in recent years.
The hydraulic track, <a href="https://www.mondoworldwide.com/emea/en/sport/track-and-field/">which Mondo developed and introduced to the market in 1988, </a>features two curved sections that can be banked to enable runners to maintain their top speeds going into turns. The hydraulic system can raise and lower the running surface in a just a few minutes.
Europe provided 13 of the 27 winners in Barcelona in 1995 &ndash; the women&rsquo;s pole vault wasn&rsquo;t yet contested at major international championships &ndash; with the highlight being the women&rsquo;s triple jump world indoor record of 15.03m by Russia&rsquo;s Yolanda Chen, the first women to break the 15-metre barrier indoors.
Other notable performances included Ukraine&rsquo;s Sergey Bubka adding to his incredible list of major international titles with his fourth world indoor pole vault gold medal, clearing 5.90m, and Germany&rsquo;s Alina Astafei winning the high jump title with 2.01m and Romanian teenager Gabriela Szabo winning her first major international senior title &ndash; with many more to come in an illustrious career &ndash; when she kicked to victory off the final turn of the 3000m to win in 8:54.50.
Mondo have provided the competition surface for 13 of the 17 World Athletics Indoor Championships to date as well as 13 of the last 16 European Athletics Indoor Championships since 1988. They will also be providing the tracks for the next two events as well: in Torun, Poland on 5-7 March 2021 and Istanbul, Turkey on 2-5 March 2023.

1994:  Yolanda Chen prepares to compete in a triple jump event during the IAAF Mobil Stockholm Grand Prix in Stockholm, Sweden. Mandatory Credit: Gray Mortimore  /Allsport

Gettyimages 1794028

Mondo's 1995 world indoor championships track finally returns home

European Athletics&rsquo; final question-and-answer session with a trail blazing women&rsquo;s leader in our sport is with the President of Luxembourg Athletics Federation &ndash;&nbsp;F&eacute;d&eacute;ration Luxembourgeoise d'Athl&eacute;tisme &ndash; Stephanie Empain.&nbsp;
She is one of only a small number of women at the head of a national athletics federation in Europe.
How did you become involved with athletics?
I started being involved in athletics at the age of six thanks to a local club reaching out to my school and involving us in their activities and continued competing until I was about 20.
I was quite successful as a teenager but unfortunately, with my studies, I didn&rsquo;t really have much time to stay involved and so stopped competing. However, athletics at that age gave me a lot of friends and I always stayed in contact with the sport. In fact, when I was young, my best friend&rsquo;s father was actually the Luxembourg federation president.
A few decades later you are now the national athletics federation president. How did that happen? After university (where she studied political science), I joined the army where I worked for the general staff. After that I was the head of my regional tourism office for six years. However, as mentioned, I always knew a lot of people involved in athletics from my own history in the sport.
I was elected to the Luxembourg parliament in October 2018 (as a member of the Green Party which is part of the ruling coalition) and became president of the Luxembourg athletics federation on 1 December 2018.
However, I had been asked before the parliamentary elections if I was interested in becoming president of the federation. I would not have applied directly myself to be president but when other federation officials asked me, I didn&rsquo;t hesitate. I quickly agreed and now I&rsquo;m very happy to be able to give something back to athletics.
How do you juggle both jobs?
Sleeping less! I also have two young children, and that doesn&rsquo;t make things easier. Being the president of our national athletics federation is a voluntary position, but I was raised to believe that you should dare to do things and my background in both the army and tourism gave me a good understanding of how medium-sized companies work, and that is really what the federation is.
For many reasons, it is harder than ever to find volunteers to be involved in sports organisations, it is a challenge for many sports federations not just in athletics. However, it is also clear our federation needs to become more professional, so they are many things for me to do although there was already a good basis built before I became the president.
What about specific European Athletics Women&rsquo;s Leadership Programme activities?
My first real involvement in this context was with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.european-athletics.org/athletics-community/women-leaders/news/article=european-athletics-launches-women-leadership-webinar-series.html">Women&rsquo;s Leadership Programme Webinar Project</a>&nbsp;this summer. It is worth noting that the Programme itself was already well-established before my first involvement.
I found it truly inspiring to get to know other women via the Webinar Project, find out about their characters, and take the chance to build a network. It is really interesting to see all these women coming from different positions &ndash; coaches, athletes, officials etc. &ndash; coming together and see what issues they face in these various positions. It has helped me reflect on what I individually, and what we collectively, can do better.
What are your hopes for the future with regards to the role and status of women in our sport? In general, it is harder for women than men to progress and reach higher positions and this must change, not just in athletics. However, I am proud of the fact that within my federation there is a good gender balance with around 40 per cent of our officials being female. In addition, although I did not personally experience any specific barriers to reaching my position (as president), I should say that it is harder to cope with the subsequent attention, with the media treating you differently than they would treat a man and I would encourage them to change their way of thinking.
&nbsp;

Holding A Speech (3)

Stephanie Empain: "I found the Webinar Project truly inspiring"

SPAR is involved in sponsoring many sporting activities through the individual efforts of independent retailers, wholesalers and the combined sponsorship of European Athletics on an international basis. Internationally, SPAR has been the principal sponsor of European Athletics since 1996, becoming synonymous with the sport in this period. Athletics is a sport where personal endeavour is combined with team participation to achieve success. Honour and pride in winning the discipline remain athletes’ main incentive. SPAR identifies with this principle which is reflective of our highly successful retailers who continue to develop the brand through the formats and ensure that consumers enjoy shopping at SPAR. The European Athletics events of which SPAR is principal sponsor comprise three elements - indoor/outdoor and cross-country - spanning the entire year of competition. SPAR works with the national partner in each country to develop maximum awareness of the sponsorship and 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 started its long-term partnership with European Athletics in 2008. The highlight of the partnership will be the European Athletics Championships 2014 in Zurich, with the 2012 Helsinki championships inbetween. Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland is a cheese of very high quality, which has been hand-made for many centuries. It is a natural product without any additives. Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland is looking forward to welcoming you soon at a European Athletics event and to offer you a taste of our magnificent cheese.

Le Gruyere

Toyo Tires

Liqui Moly

Liqui Moli

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has been the broadcast partner of European Athletics since 1981. For more than 30 years, 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, 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 annual revenue of € 12 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high performance computing, the group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 73 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital environment for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index.

Atos is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games. Atos 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

Rs 2

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.

European Athletics

The President

Council

Congress

Commissions

History

Your Sport For Life

e-Convention 2020

Honours & Awards

Event Hosting

Medical & Anti-Doping

European Athletics Integrity Platform

Sponsors

Official Partners

Broadcast Partner

Official Digital Partner

Preferred Supplier

Supporting Hotel

Official Photographic Agency