Your Sport for Life Newsletter of European Athletics 3 | 12 December INSIDE TRACK Your Sport for Life WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT Momentum gained this year must be IMPRESSUM European Athletics Association Européenne carried forward d’Athlétisme President: Hansjörg Wirz Vice Presidents: in 2013 Jose Luis de Carlos Karel Pilny Jean Gracia Hansjörg Wirz | President, European Athletics Director General: Christian Milz Office: Avenue Louis-Ruchonnet 18 During this Autumn period, there have been three distinct CH-1003 Lausanne moments when the enormity of this year in athletics has been Switzerland brought home to me. At the European Athletics Convention in Phone +41 (0)21 313 43 50 Fax +41 (0)21 313 43 51 Malta, our Council meeting in Bucharest and, most recently, [email protected] the IAAF Centenary in Barcelona, my conversations have www.european-athletics.org been dominated by what we have experienced in 2012. “Inside Track” is published by European Athletics It’s good to remind ourselves that it has been an incredible year for European athletics in 2012, with the continent Co-ordination: playing host to some memorable moments in our sport. In James Mulligan chronological order, we have witnessed an IAAF World Aditya Kumar European Athletics Indoor Championships in Istanbul, the inaugural biennial Communication Department European Athletics Championships in Helsinki, the Olympic Phone +41 (0)21 313 43 57 Games in London, as well as the aforementioned IAAF [email protected] celebrations in Barcelona. Four key moments in athletics – all of which took place in Europe. Text, Photos: James Mulligan, Aditya President Wirz and Prince Radu of Romania, along with Kumar, Bill Glad, Phil Minshull, The level of enthusiasm among the general public, the European Athletics 1st Vice President José Luis DeCarlos, Hansjörg Wirz, Christian media and other important stakeholders that has been Gabriela Szabo and Andrei Chiliman, Mayor of the 1st District Milz, Andy Heading, Michael generated this year must continue in 2013 at the IAAF of Bucharest. Butcher, Picture Alliance World Championships in Moscow and at the 2014 European Design, Production: Athletics Championships in Zurich, the two key events over AMK Atelier für Marketing the next couple of years. place Prague as hosts of the 2015 indoor championships, und Kommunikation Cheboksary as the 2015 team championships hosts and Amstutzstrasse 14 We have some very important events in strong markets Amsterdam as the 2016 European Athletics Championships CH-6010 Kriens, Switzerland Phone +41 (0)41 320 00 72 ahead of Zurich 2014, which will help ensure momentum hosts. Fax +41 (0)41 320 00 79 is maintained, including the Göteborg 2013 European [email protected] Athletics Indoor Championships and the Gateshead Thus, in the area of high performance, we can be satisfied to 2013 and Braunschweig 2014 European Athletics Team a certain degree that we have a clear picture of a strong run Print: Multicolor Print AG Championships. Beyond Zurich, we already have in of events in order to promote our sport at its optimum level, CH-6340 Baar, Switzerland thanks to our long-term event bidding strategy. Follow us: >> Facebook Based on an analysis of our overall competition programme, European Athletics offers a holistic career development plan for athletes from the bottom to the top level. >> Twitter Our European Athletics Championships offer more opportunities for European athletes than the World Championships, Olympic Games or even one-day meeting structures such >> YouTube as the Diamond League or the IAAF World Challenge. However, European athletes still do not get ample enough opportunities With IAAF Vice President and London 2012 Chairman Sebastian Coe. 2 www.european-athletics.org Newsletter of European Athletics 3|12 INSIDE TRACK WORD from THE PRESIDENT e Lif or f t Spor our Y to compete at the right level. Thus, we are TV audience of 156 million visualising a future competition system that will include competition planning security, motivation for athletes to participate, focus watches Helsinki 2012 European on improving recognition of the athletes and the creation of programmes to attract the future generation. Athletics Championships Linked to this and in line with the Youth Strategy, the Council in Bucharest agreed Helsinki 2012, the inaugural European Athletics Championships to the concept of a European Youth in an Olympic year, attracted a total television audience of Championships foreseen to be held in 2016. 156 million (excluding news audiences) when it was broadcast The proposal for such an event will be presented to the Congress in Skopje for final earlier this year. approval in April 2013. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) “We will now look at finding the optimum Of course, it is important we are organised in confirmed in its report to European time in a busy summer schedule for the such a way with regards to high performance Athletics that its flagship championships Amsterdam 2016 European Athletics – perceived to be at the core of athletics. It is posted strong live and delayed TV Championships.” also clear, though, that we must look at ways coverage, with more than 35 international to address the fact that endeavours of sports broadcasters showing over 1,400 hours of EUROVISION Director Sports & Business organisations in the areas of health and well- action (1,115 live) during the five days of Stefan Kuerten said, “These figures show being and youth integration are not readily competition. how the strength of the EBU is important recognised by society and the concerned in bringing the top sports events, such as government authorities. European Athletics President Hansjörg Helsinki 2012, to the widest European Wirz said, “This is a great start for audiences. European Athletics Member Federations and the Olympic-year European Athletics clubs have been very active in these areas Championships. With fewer days of “It also demonstrates the commitment of but, so far, there has not been a harmonised competition, shorter evening sessions the EBU and its members to the sport of pan-European strategy to act, engage and and during a packed summer of televised athletics while reflecting the importance gain recognition through such activities. sport, we have still managed to produce of wide-reaching, free to air exposure of Athletics has an enviable advantage in this healthy television figures for our event. the European Athletics Championships.” area because of its simplicity. The sport can be practiced anywhere by anybody without “Indeed, our event has performed better More than 162,000 spectators also requiring anything that incurs cost. than many others in a busy summer watched the action live at the Olympic season. The television figures show the Stadium in the Finnish capital between 27 Governing bodies such as ours thus need to continued importance of our sport on the June and 1 July. unify all activities linked with their sport to continent and underline the continued gain recognition and spread awareness. It popularity of the European Athletics is of the utmost importance to be recognised Championships. by society, public institutions, and political authorities. Our focus should be on competence, credibility, integration and growth. Our long- term strategy for our sport takes this into account and not only includes developments in high performance but also takes into account health and well-being, education, services and relationship structures, and communication as integral parts. Following analysis, we are now clearer on what is the real value of European Athletics both in terms of high performance as well as health and well-being activities and its potential value in the existing market. Thus, our commercial strategy going forward in the next years will explore the twin opportunities created by adopting this strategy that will respond, with efficiency, to the rapidly changing requirements of society. INSIDE TRACK 3|12 Newsletter of European Athletics www.european-athletics.org 3 Your Sport for Life Budapest 2012 Europe’s best cross country runners converge on the Hungarian capital Budapest in Hungary plays host to the 19th SPAR European Cross Country Championships Sunday 9 December and there are some action packed duals lined up, writes Michael Butcher. Early indications are that the overall record become arguably Europe’s greatest cross one of the participants. I have to be in my number of 34 nations, set at the 2010 cross country runner ever and who has greatest shape to have ability to fight for edition of the championships in Albufeira won the SPAR European Cross Country my 10th gold medal.” Portugal’s Algarve coast and the record Championship on a record nine occasions. number of 468 runners that competed at Spain’s Ayed Lamdassem has already the 2006, 2008 and 2010 SPAR European Lebid is still harbouring ambitions of a finished second twice in the European Cross Country Championships, could be further title to add to his remarkable Cross Country Championships and after toppled this year. record in this event. Last year, the finishing first Spaniard in their trials race in Ukrainian’s preparations were marred by Alcobendas, he will once again be pitching Hungary is familiar with staging top- snow at his training base in Kislovodsk for victory on the beautiful course at the level athletics events, particularly in and which led to him dropping out in Velenje open air museum in Szentendre, which around Budapest. The 1966 and 1998 after 7.5 kilometres. nestles on the banks of the Danube just European Athletics Championships, north of the capital Budapest. the 1983 and 1988 European Athletics But this year he insists that he is in Indoor Championships, as well as much better shape and has enjoyed an Spanish cross country champion, Carles the 1989 and 2004 World Indoor untroubled path to Budapest. Let it not Castillejo, was well beaten by Lamdassem, Championships are all remembered fondly.