<p dir="ltr"><strong>The inaugural European Running Championships takes place in Brussels-Leuven one year today on 12-13 April 2025!</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Europe&rsquo;s elite athletes will be joined by recreational and club-level athletes from all across the world for a two-day running festival - the biggest running event to be held in Belgium - which comprises a 10km, half marathon and marathon.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/C5nb83CI8xC"]</p>
<p dir="ltr">More than 7000 runners - including 5000 in the marathon which already makes next year&rsquo;s race the biggest ever marathon to be held on Belgian soil - pre-registered to be part of the European Running Championships while the general registration link for all three races opened on Thursday (11) morning.</p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Register now to be part of the 2025 European Running Championships <a href="https://europeanrunningchampionships.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr">Individual and team medals will be on offer in the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s 10km, half marathon and marathon but one of the unique aspects of the European Running Championships is the introduction of the&nbsp;<em>Country Ranking</em> competition in each race, a classification which is based on the top-25 fastest aggregate times of the elite athletes and the mass participants.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Speaking on the launch of the newest major event on the European Athletics calendar, European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov said: "The European Running Championships symbolises my vision of a sport that really is for everyone. Young and old, male and female, fast and slow, big and small, elite and amateur will all compete together and simultaneously in mass marathon, half marathon and 10km races, with global and national ranking places on offer.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"For too long, athletics has been seen as a rarefied activity, the preserve of only the super-fit and the super-gifted. All children, and a growing number of adults across our continent, take part in athletics, in the form of recreational running, every day. Yet many of them do not think of themselves as athletes. I am determined to bridge this gap."</p>
<p dir="ltr">Flemish Minister for Sport Ben Weyts said: "The European Running Championships will get masses of Flemish people moving. This is exactly the reason why we have been bringing a growing number of top sporting events to Flanders in recent years.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Watching sport makes you do sport. Running has always been an easily accessible sport and has become even more attractive now. You will be able to cross the province of Flemish Brabant together with top runners. I am extremely delighted that the biggest marathon in our country&rsquo;s history will soon take place in my very own province."</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">A royal start for the marathon</h2>
<p dir="ltr">The marathon course at the European Running Championships will begin in Brussels against the grand and imposing backdrop of the Royal Palace, one of the city&rsquo;s most recognisable landmarks.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">After a 10km loop of Brussels, the point-to-point marathon course will conclude in the city of Leuven at the Parkpoort, the same location for the finish of the World Road Cycling Championships in 2021.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">The half marathon and 10km races will start and finish in Leuven. One of the participants will be the Mayor of Leuven Mohamed Ridouani.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"I will take part too and I invite all inhabitants of Leuven to appear at the start with me. These European Running Championships in our city will allow us to present our city as a European city of sport again. It will undoubtedly be a high day of sport and as far as I&rsquo;m concerned, the beginning of a marathon tradition in Leuven,&rdquo; he said.</p>

On your marks! Entries open for the 2025 European Running Championships

<p><strong>European Athletics is sad to hear the news that Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games discus champion Olga Fikotova-Connolly has passed away at the age of 91 on Saturday (12).</strong><br><br>The Czech thrower was the last living female Olympic athletics gold medallist from these Games.</p>
<p>In a memorable competition which saw the Olympic record broken four times, Fikotova-Connolly triumphed with her fifth-round effort of 53.69m.</p>
<p>At the Games, Fikotova as she was then, met the USA&rsquo;s Hal &nbsp;Connolly, who was to win the hammer gold medal the day after Fikotova&rsquo;s victory.</p>
<p>The pair had a much-publicised romance which saw them later get married in Prague&rsquo;s Old Town Square in front of 30,000 people with fellow Olympic champions Emil Zatopek and Dana Zatpkova as their witnesses.</p>
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<p>After the marriage, Fikotova-Connolly moved to the USA and competed in four more Olympics for her adopted country.</p>
<p>She was also a talented basketball player and won a 1954 European Championships silver medal as part of the Czechoslovakia team.</p>
<p>Later in life, she became well-known as a coach and fitness instructor.</p>
<p>European Athletics would like to send their condolences to all Fikotova-Connolly&rsquo;s family and friends.</p>

1956 Olympic champion Fikotova-Connolly dies at the age of 91

<p dir="ltr"><strong>In 100 days&rsquo; time, the next generation of superstars will enjoy their first glimpse of major international competition at the fourth edition of the European Athletics U18 Championships in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia from 18-21 July.&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">The event takes place in the DUKLA Stadium and will be just the second time Slovakia has hosted a major European event after Samorin staged the 2017 SPAR European Cross Country Championships.</p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">Buy your tickets <a href="https://www.ticketportal.sk/event/ATLETICKE-MAJSTROVSTVA-EUROPY-U18-2024?idpartner=769&amp;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here!</a></li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr">Every session of the European Athletics U18 Championships - staged on a track installed by European Athletics Partner&nbsp;<a href="https://www.conica.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conica</a> three years ago who will have the status of Preferred Supplier in Banska Bystrica - will be streamed live through the European Athletics website on the <a href="https://www.eurovisionsport.com/explore/competition?id=Generic-Schedule-Landing-Page&amp;cId=20240718EABanskaBystrica">Eurovision Sport platform. <br><br>I</a>n-depth and comprehensive coverage of the championships will be provided on the European Athletics website and across all the European Athletics social media channels.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/C5iVFYkscHv/?img_index=1"]</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Who to watch in Banska Bystrica?</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Italy has another diamond in the rough in the long jump in the form of Daniele Inzoli who is one of the forerunners to succeed compatriot Mattia Furlani as European U18 champion even though he will still be only 15 at the time of competition.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But despite his young age, Inzoli is already on the radar of aficionados of the event. Inzoli jumped 7.48m last year at the age of 14 and at&nbsp;the Italian Indoor U18 Championships this winter, he leapt out to an outright lifetime best of 7.62m to win the title.</p>
<p dir="ltr">[TWITTER ID="http://twitter.com/jumpers_world/status/1665399331795369991"]</p>
<p dir="ltr">Romania&rsquo;s Alexandra Stefania Uta was the youngest medallist at last year&rsquo;s European Athletics U20 Championships when she won bronze in the 400m hurdles at the age of 15. Now 16 - and she will still be 16 on race day this August - Uta will be a gold medal contender regardless of which event she chooses in Banska Bystrica.</p>
<p dir="ltr">During her breakthrough season last year, Uta clocked outstanding times both in the 400m flat (52.42) and 56.31 in the 400m hurdles (56.31).</p>
<p dir="ltr">Also watch out for Great Britain&rsquo;s Phoebe Gill to continue her country&rsquo;s outstanding tradition in the women&rsquo;s middle distance events in Banska Bystrica.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Only 16, Gill clocked a British U17 800m record of 2:01.50 last year and also won the Commonwealth U18 title in 2:02.30. These times would have been highly competitive for medals at the European Athletics U20 Championships which were held at the same time as the Commonwealth U18 Games.</p>
<p dir="ltr">[TWITTER ID="http://twitter.com/Jason_AW/status/1675092072158642178"]</p>
<p dir="ltr">Her teammate Lyla Belshaw clocked 4:16.37 for 1500m last summer at the age of 15 and also warrants a mention on the topic of prospective gold medallists later this year.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And there could be a rare gold medal for Estonia in the sprints. Only 16, Miia Ott finished sixth in the 100m final at the European Athletics U20 Championships and led off the 4x100m team which set a national senior record of 44.21 at the European Athletics Team Championships First League in Silesia last June.</p>
<p dir="ltr">[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/Cvpx90qv5Wq"]</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">A brief history of the championships</h2>
<p dir="ltr">And while the last edition of the European Athletics U18 Championships are still relatively fresh in the memory, the class of Jerusalem 2022 have already made an indelible impact at senior level.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Only two weeks after winning the European U18 high jump title, Serbia&rsquo;s Angelina Topic came away with a bronze at the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships at the age of 17 before graduating to become the 2023 European Athletics women&rsquo;s Rising Star.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Mattia Furlani won a memorable long jump/high jump double at the 2022 European Athletics U18 Championships and the Italian - who landed European U20 long jump gold with a championship record of 8.23m last summer before winning silver at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships - will be looking to emulate Topic with a medal at the European Athletics Championships in Rome from 7-12 June.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HgmmOP7MLkM?si=FmvlnszjBfJZL5KX" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p dir="ltr">Dutch wonder-kid Niels Laros also announced himself to a wider audience by winning a 1500/3000m double at the 2022 European Athletics U18 Championships. He excelled on his senior debut at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest last summer by reaching the final at the age of 18 and setting a Dutch record of 3:31.25.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">At the second edition of the European Athletics U18 Championships in Gy&ouml;r in 2018, a 16-year-old Yaroslava Mahuchikh cleared a lifetime best and still-standing championship record of 1.94m in the high jump while her Ukrainian teammate Mykhailo Kokhan won the hammer with a world U18 best of 87.82m with the 5kg implement - the longest throw ever achieved in the hammer.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/29HJenIdhoQ?si=hufqvGmYqPdwi7r0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p dir="ltr">The most successful, as well as busiest, athlete of the championships was arguably Spain's Maria Vicente who came away with two gold medals for posterity. After winning the heptathlon title by almost 600 points with a world U18 best of 6221 points, the Spaniard bounded out to 13.95m in the last round of the triple jump final to add a second gold medal to her collection.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Great Britain&rsquo;s Keely Hodgkinson also kicked to victory in the 800m ahead of Ireland&rsquo;s Sophie O&rsquo;Sullivan whose teammate Sarah Healy - who now trains with Hodgkinson under the tutelage of Trevor Painter - also impressed with a 1500/3000m double. In a memorable championships for Ireland, Rhasidat Adeleke also came away with the 200m title at the age of 15.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1712660187/GettyImages-993469736.jpg"></p>
<p dir="ltr">And at the inaugural European Athletics U18 Championships in Tbilisi, Ukraine&rsquo;s Alina Shukh won a thrilling heptathlon from Austria&rsquo;s Sarah Lagger with both athletes breaking the previous world U18 best with scores of 6186 points and 6175 points respectively.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Other notable champions in the Georgian capital included Great Britain&rsquo;s George Mills in the men&rsquo;s 800m, Greece&rsquo;s Emmanouil Karalis in the pole vault and France&rsquo;s Cyrena Samba-Mayela who was part of France&rsquo;s gold medal-winning team in the medley relay.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Steven Mills for European Athletics</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

Banska Bystrica calling! 100 days until the European Athletics U18 Championships 

<p><strong>There are 50 days left to go until the European Off-Road Running Championships in Annecy, France. </strong></p>
<p>The second edition of the event will see the cream of the continent&rsquo;s mountain and trail runners tackle the spectacular courses in the French Alps across three days on 31 May-2 June.</p>
<p>The inaugural event took place two years ago in El Paso on the Spanish island of La Palma with 283 runners from 24 countries taking part. Already this year&rsquo;s event is set to be significantly bigger with 480 runners representing 30 countries in the preliminary entries.</p>
<p>The event consists of ten championship races over mountainous and trail terrain in senior and U20 male and female categories. There are also open races for recreational runners to <a href="https://reg-livetrail.net/maxi-race-2024/select_competition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">register and compete</a> on the championship courses.</p>
<h2>Major importance in Olympic year</h2>
<p>Looking towards the event, Andr&eacute; Giraud, President of the French Athletics Federation (FFA) said: &ldquo;Today, off-road racing encompasses a whole range of disciplines that are of major importance to French athletics.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re delighted to be hosting the European Championships in Annecy, France, in the same year as the Olympic Games! We would like to thank European Athletics, who have placed their trust in the skills of the organizer and the experience of the FFA.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>A beautiful playground</h2>
<p>The Event Director, St&eacute;phane Agnoli of MaXi-Events said: &ldquo;Nine years after the World Championships, MaXi-Race is proud to once again host an international event such as the European Off-Road Running Championships.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1712741324/maxi-race-2023-2_c_cyrille-quintard.jpg"></p>
<p>&ldquo;These European (Off-Road) Championships will be a unique opportunity to celebrate trail running in all its forms, bringing together the best European athletes and amateur and professional trail runners on the same site.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Our region is one of the most beautiful playgrounds in the world for outdoor activities and will be one of the finest stages for promoting sport and health.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<h2>A land of sports</h2>
<p>Annecy Deputy Mayor Catherine Allard commented: &ldquo;Annecy is a land of sports, and we&rsquo;re delighted for the organizers to be able to host a competition of this scale once again.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll be supporting the event, making it a point of honour to limit its carbon footprint, and working with the organizers on a section dedicated to preserving the environment. So that we can continue to run for a long time to come in these beautiful areas and enjoy the mountains.&rdquo;</p>

50 days to go to European Off-Road Running Championships

<p dir="ltr"><strong>European Athletics is very saddened to learn of the death of Croatian 400/800m great Luciano Susanj at the age of 75 on Sunday (14).</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Susanj&rsquo;s greatest triumph came at the 1974 European Athletics Championships in Rome where he accelerated away from the field pver the last 150 metres for victory in the Stadio Olimpico in the colours of Yugoslavia in 1:44.07, the third fastest 800m time in history back in 1974.</p>
<p dir="ltr">His winning time remains the second fastest winning time in European Athletics Championships history and is still intact as the Croatian 800m record almost 50 years later.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9x-MCxScv8U?si=EbXJirdFh2nU8Dlf" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p dir="ltr">Susanj also won the 400m at the 1973 European Indoor Championships and the 800m title the following year at the 1974 European Indoor Championships. He also won a brace of regional titles, including 12 Balkan titles across the 400m, 800m and 4x400m relay.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Susanj remained active in athletics after his competitive career ended in 1976. He was a member of the European Athletics Council from 1987 to 1991, served as the President of the Croatian Athletics Federation between 2000-2014 as well as Vice President of the Croatian Olympic Committee.</p>
<p dir="ltr">European Athletics sends its deepest condolences to Susanj&rsquo;s family and friends as well as the Croatian athletics community.&nbsp;</p>

1974 European 800m champion Susanj dies at the age of 75

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Reigning European discus champion Mykolas Alekna opened his 2024 season with a huge throw and an excellent series at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational in Berkeley, California on Saturday (6) afternoon.</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">The 22-year-old, who was deservedly crowned men's Rising Star at the Golden Tracks award ceremony in 2022, launched the discus out to a world lead of 71.39m to break his European U23 record and move up to tenth on the European all-time list.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And this was accompanied by marks of 69.82m, 68.24m and 69.96m - all of which were in excess of the previous world lead at this early juncture of the season.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1712484987/Live_results_7.png"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Alekna made history at the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships by winning the discus title at 19 to become the youngest ever male winner of a throwing title and emulate his father Virgilijus who won the European title in 2006.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Mykolas will be aiming to defend his European discus title in Rome from 7-12 June on the road to his anticipated Olympic debut in Paris later in the year.&nbsp;</p>

European U23 record! Alekna launches a massive 71.39m discus

<p><strong>Extreme weather events are becoming an increasingly frequent phenomenon around the world. Cyclones, flooding, heatwaves, and landslides have resulted in all-too-common media reports, with uncomfortable images of human and ecological devastation.</strong></p>
<p>In recent years we have seen catastrophic wildfires in the United States and Canada, heatwaves in India and Pakistan, freezing temperatures in Afghanistan and mild European winters, complete with record-breaking highs in rainfall. In Europe, we are experiencing the warmest and wettest months on record.</p>
<p>Science confirms that human activity, in particular the release of CO2 emissions is causing climate change. It is impacting our day to day lives, and of course, sport too is affected. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Athletics, as a predominantly outdoor sport, is already suffering. Strategic planning is required by event organisers to accommodate unpredictable, and potentially unsafe conditions.</p>
<h2>Extreme heat</h2>
<p>Extreme heat in Budapest last summer forced organisers of the World Athletics Championships to alter event schedules, in attempt to avoid midday and afternoon temperatures, in excess of 30 degrees.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The sport is increasingly mindful of the wellbeing of athletes, particularly in endurance runners, competing in extreme heat.</p>
<p>This month&rsquo;s European Throwing Cup in Leiria, Portugal was seriously impacted by heavy rainfall which massively disrupted the competition.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1710843930/7121ccb5-48f4-40df-81f8-9d78bbabc368.jpg"></p>
<p>Antonio Carvalho is the Local Organising Committee&rsquo;s Event Coordinator and Media Manager. He said: &ldquo;We've had the European Throwing Cup in Leiria for the last three years, and it's always been sunny the week before, sort of sunny and mild the week after, but on the weekend of the event, it always rains on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;So, that's what we expected - a little bit wet on Saturday&hellip; and on Sunday, usually the sun comes out.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>Severe weather</h2>
<p>Carvalho and his team had been checking forecasts constantly to prepare, but he explains the event experienced far worse weather than expected.</p>
<p>&lsquo;It was a severe weather event, very unpredictable. You could have sunshine one minute and heavy rainfall, with thunderstorms, and lightning the next minute. There were gusts of wind like I've never felt before.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;All the tents in the National Throwing Centre were shaking. We saw the podium almost flying away. It was a very quick weather event - almost like a mini hurricane took place.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We saw something that is very unusual for Portugal in March. You might have weather like that in the peak of winter, one or two days where you wouldn't go out.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Resilience and flexibility</h2>
<p>The European Throwing Cup was contested by over 300 athletes, representing a total of 41 nations. Carvalho explains the athletes, having travelled to Portugal, were anxious to compete. He explains:&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;They were ready, they were all hyped up, they had their warm‑up done. &nbsp;But for throwers, it's risky because of the very slippery surfaces and all the rotation, which obviously increases the risk.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Flooded throwing circles had to be drained of water with machinery, and also human effort to manually take water from the circles with buckets. Organisers had to dig additional drainage routes for the rainwater to reach a nearby stream.</p>
<p>The National Throwing Centre, where the hammer and most discus events took place, is built on a flood plain, meaning most of the flooding in and around the cage, was caused by the sudden increase in underground water levels.</p>
<p><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1710844028/ETC2024_Flags_windy_Credit_-_Nuno_Urbano_for_Leiria_Desporto.jpg"></p>
<p>It was impossible to continue as planned, and competition venues had to be changed. The men&rsquo;s discus moved to the Municipal Stadium of Leiria, a purpose-built infrastructure which offered more sheltered areas for athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Resilience and flexibility were required on the part of the organisers, but Carvalho is keen to also praise the athletes for their cooperation and spirit in the challenging circumstances.</p>
<p>One of the first to arrive at the National Throwing Centre was 21-year-old Muhamet Ramadani from Kosovo. The former European U20 Champion started cleaning the shot put circle on his own initiative. He went on to claim the gold medal in the U23 men&rsquo;s event with 18.54m.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There were some great overall results, says Carvalho. &ldquo;There was a European lead in the men's discus, and there were also some national records. I think athletes are very resilient by nature and they were there to compete and to impress, as this is an Olympic year.&rdquo;</p>
<p>However, pressures on the organisers were enormous. They battled extreme weather conditions in attempt to allow the athletes to perform at their best, alongside the greater challenge of keeping everyone safe.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Our priority was athletes' safety, and providing them with the best conditions to perform, but they were so eager to compete, says Carvalho. &ldquo;They just wanted to get it done and dusted!</p>
<h2>Athlete safety</h2>
<p>&ldquo;We only allowed them to go back out when we thought it was safe for all. And still we were doubting ourselves all the time&hellip; just in case something might happen. It is an Olympic year, and no one wants to get injured! At the end of the day, it was our call to let them go out - when it was safe.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Finding solutions was imperative, and rescheduling some events had to be taken into consideration, however, as Carvalho explains, the impact would have been far-reaching.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Rescheduling an event would have had an impact, not only on transportation, accommodation, and catering, but also on those flying back to their country the day after.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Some of the athletes would have been impacted very seriously. Imagine coming all the way to Portugal and then not being able to compete because we might have to move the event to the next day.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Good performances</h2>
<p>The event realised the ambition of good performances in a safe environment, the outstanding example being Portugal's Irina Rodrigues setting a world lead and national record of 66.60m in the women's discus.</p>
<p>Carvalho offers practical advice on how this can be achieved in this increasingly unpredictable world of weather.</p>
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<p>&ldquo;Definitely have a risk assessment! It's a no-brainer having a risk assessment and having the equipment in place. Your staff also need to be trained, and ready to act when needed.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s risk assessment preparedness - having everyone informed, what are the steps to take? It takes strong leadership, including a strong team of middle managers to then work with volunteers.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Training here is vital - training and informing people what are the risks, and what are the measures that we're going to put in place should scenario A, B or C occur. I think that's very important.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Communication is key, as clich&eacute; as it sounds. Having someone, or a small group of people who can give directions to everyone else, because people will react differently! Bear in mind that you are working with volunteers, who don't have that responsibility of making such strong decisions.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We were organised to create a last-minute Crisis Management Team on site, which included technical delegates, LOC coordinator, LOC president, and the European Athletics project leader.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We were the ones making decisions, everyone else just acted according to our directions. We were working with a group of people who were very experienced, very knowledgeable, used to thinking on their feet.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;As I explained, the first thing I had to do as event coordinator, was to ask my team to look at the flights for each athlete competing, what time were they leaving the next day, would they be impacted?</p>
<p>&ldquo;It requires being proactive, and it requires having all your information ready for you to access easily so you can implement in any situation. Lots of planning and organisation.</p>
<p>&ldquo;You have a very short period of time to make a decision and that decision needs to be the best one for the athletes; not for the host city, not for the organisers not for anything else. Whatever decision you make is always based on what it's best for the athletes.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>Partnership approach</h2>
<p>In a more global sense, when addressing climate change, Carvalho advises fostering strong relationships with host cities.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think the first point for organisers to get started is setting up good partnerships with the host cities. Here in Europe, most of the councils, most of the host cities, already have a sustainability programme in place.</p>
<p>&ldquo;For example, using public transportation for an event rather than having buses or dedicated cars - that's a step forward because not only you are reducing CO2 emissions, but you're also promoting healthy lifestyles.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;You want more people to walk from one place to another, you want more people to use public transport, you want less people to use cars, especially in places where there is a good public transport network. &ldquo;</p>
<p>Carvalho also believes our elite athletes have a valuable role to play, as champions of climate action and behaviour change.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think we need to use our athletes as the voice, as the ambassador in this fight for a more sustainable world, because they are impactful in so many ways - not just in the sense of practising sport, but in terms of lifestyle and how resilient some of them are and the challenges they overcome.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think a lot of people resonate with athletes, even people that don't practise sport. I think we have an opportunity here that is very special.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Sport is a catalyst for societal change, and I think we need to jump on board with what the IOC (International Olympic Committee) is already doing, what World Athletics is already doing. European Athletics is also investing in it.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think we've got the means to do something about it. We just need to stop talking about it and actually start doing something about it.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Rhona McLeod for European Athletics</strong></p>
<p><strong>Main photo courtesy of Luis Barreto</strong></p>

Climate action in action at European Throwing Cup

‘Illuminate’ will be the official song of Roma 2024

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Spain&rsquo;s Paul McGrath signalled a major breakthrough in February when he took the national 20km race walking title in style, beating double world champion and reigning European champion &Aacute;lvaro Mart&iacute;n in the process.</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Even more significantly in the context of the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships from 7-12 June, the rising star of Spanish race walking clocked a scintillating 1:17:55 in Zaragoza to hammer through the 1:20-barrier for the first time in his nascent career improving his previous lifetime best by a huge margin of 3:08.</p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">Buy your tickets for Roma 2024 <a href="https://www.roma2024.eu/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;Honestly, that kind of performance was definitely a surprise and beyond my expectations. Of course, my training was going pretty well and I knew I was in the form of my life but I didn&rsquo;t think about anything faster than high 1:18,&rdquo; said McGrath, who only turned 22 earlier this year but is already third on the Spanish all-time list behind Martin (1:17:32) and Francisco Javier Fernandez (1:17:22).</p>
<p dir="ltr">[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/C3yKiDpszkH/?img_index=1"]</p>
<p dir="ltr">Thanks to that blazing outing McGrath secured his spot on the Spanish team for both the Europeans Athletics Championships in Rome from 7-12 June and the Olympic Games in Paris - a dream come true for the Barcelona-born walker.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"The Europeans will mark my first major championships at senior level, I&rsquo;m eager to compete there as I&rsquo;m in love with Rome. It&rsquo;s my favourite city for a number of reasons</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Firstly, the art galleries. I would spend hours and hours visiting the churches or museums as they all are full of history. Also, the gastronomy. I love pasta and as an athlete I eat it almost on a daily basis so it will be a fine opportunity to taste genuine Italian pasta which will be much better than the stuff I&rsquo;m accustomed to!</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Also, for the first time in many years, the finish line for the race walking events will be located inside the stadium and that&rsquo;s a huge morale booster for me," he said.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Celtic roots but a proud Spaniard</h2>
<p dir="ltr">McGrath - as you can probably discern from his surname - has Irish grandparents and a Scottish father while his mother comes from Spain; literally, he will never walk alone in Rome.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">"A lot of relatives will be there to support me: my parents, a Spanish uncle, four Scottish uncles and aunts. I&rsquo;ll do my very best and I want my family to see me compete face-to-face with the best walkers," he said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Having already landed the European U20 10,000m race walk and the U23 20km race walk crowns, Roma 2024 seems to be a perfect occasion to secure a hat-trick of European titles.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"That would be marvellous but I&rsquo;m fully aware it will be extremely hard to accomplish as all the finest walkers will gather there," acknowledges McGrath.</p>
<p dir="ltr">[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/CumxSOrMS8j"]</p>
<p dir="ltr">McGrath realised many years ago that a Google search for &lsquo;Paul McGrath&rsquo; did not return the expected results.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">"When I was small my father used to sing me the song the Irish supporters dedicated to Paul McGrath when he played for Ireland; then a teacher also told me there had been a famous Irish footballer with that name playing for Aston Villa and Manchester United.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">"I began to find out more about him and soon understood he was a big idol so it&rsquo;s an honour for me to share name with him but t&rsquo;s going to be hard work to unseat him in terms of Google!" he said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Despite being born in Barcelona, his father gave him a British name. "He grew up in Glasgow and moved to Barcelona in 1995 to get married; when I was born he wanted to give me a British name but my mother thought most of the potential names were going to be mispronounced by her family and finally Paul became a fine and reasonable point of agreement."</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Performing when it really counts</h2>
<p dir="ltr">McGrath has a proven ability to peak when it really matters. Not only did he win the European U20 title in 2021 followed by the European U23 title in 2023, he did so with lifetime best performances in both championships, a habit he would surely like to continue in Rome in June.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"That credit to my coach Alejandro Aragoneses - he always knows how to get the major championships at my highest level of the season," said McGrath, who also won a bronze medal in the World Athletics U20 Championships in 2021.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1713347720/GettyImages-1537525264.jpg"></p>
<p dir="ltr">On a curious comparative note, McGrath holds no fewer than three major age-group medals and speaks as many languages.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"When I was a kid my father used to talk to me in English, my mother in Spanish and most of my classes at school were conducted in Catalan. I still remember mixing words from the three languages, it was a bit confusing sometimes but now I definitely consider it an advantage to be able to speak several languages," he said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">McGrath can also boast of having valuable familiar help when he faces his longest training sessions.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"I need to drink often during a 25km training session so either my father, one of my two sisters or my uncle accompany me riding a bike to provide me some water every four kilometres or so and conversation too. I feel privileged to have a family that is so attentive to my training," said McGrath, although he does note there is one minor impediment to securing familial help.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">"My father is a die-hard Celtic fan so we sometimes have to adjust my training schedule so that he doesn&rsquo;t miss the match on television."</p>
<p dir="ltr">When winning the Spanish 20km race walk title earlier this year, McGrath covered the second 10km in an astonishing 37:37 which averages a frantic pace of 3:45 per kilometre.</p>
<p dir="ltr">As his Instagram motto says, why run if you can walk fast?</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Emeterio Valiente for European Athletics</strong></p>

Senior breakthrough beckons for Spain's McGrath in his beloved Rome 

<p><strong>The iconic Stadio dei Marmi which will serve as the warm-up track for the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships from 7-12 June has undergone renovation in the build-up to the championships which begin in just over 50 days' time.</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Buy your tickets for Roma 2024 <a href="https://roma2024.vivaticket.it/?qubsq=c35c0d58-390d-4e08-9075-c4def4b62ecf&amp;qubsp=9c291479-9696-4e64-a983-45916d92c3c9&amp;qubsts=1713343997&amp;qubsc=bestunion&amp;qubse=vivaticketserver&amp;qubsrt=Safetynet&amp;qubsh=f5c152ac5b3c2eb8115277664b7a9b9d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></li>
</ul>
<p>And in preparation for a busy and action-packed summer season, the Italian men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s relay teams have had the honour of testing out the track this week.</p>
<p><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1713344224/Media_Day-87.jpg"></p>
<p dir="ltr">"The Stadio dei Marmi has always been something spectacular, I achieved the personal best [on this track in the 100m] last year," said Lorenzo Simonelli, who won 60m hurdles silver at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow but hopes to be involved in his country&rsquo;s 4x100m team later this summer.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">"But now, with this dark track, the white stands out even more. There is no stadium like this in the world. I can't wait to return to the European Athletics Championships in Rome - a very important stage of the season.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;I'm very calm, happy, and excited. We're working to achieve important results, just as we did indoors. In the relay I don't have a favourite leg, what matters is being in the group,&rdquo; added Simonelli.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Another athlete in high spirits was Zaynab Dosso who capped her breakthrough indoor campaign by winning a bronze medal in the 60m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And while Dosso will have her sights set on making an impact in the 100m in Rome 2024, she is also eyeing a medal of a shinier colour than the one the Italian team won in the 4x100m in Munich 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">"With our relay teammates at the European Athletics Championships we are aiming for an even heavier medal than the bronze in Munich 2022," said Dosso who ran the lead-off leg in Munich two years ago.</p>
<p dir="ltr">[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/C50yPABNvAd"]</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Glasgow has left me with emotional tranquility, serenity. I know that I have achieved something and I just have to continue working as I was doing. There is a magical environment at the moment - in previous years we wanted to surprise, but now we know that we have the right qualities and can dream big," she added.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">One of the special guests for the re-opening of the Stadio dei Marmi was Livio Berruti who famously won the 200m title on home soil at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Curiosity and passion for running have always driven me throughout my career. This day, for me, it&rsquo;s like going back to a beautiful time, full of joy and smiles.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">"I wish the Italian sprinters all the best for the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships," he said.&nbsp;</p>

“There is no stadium like this in the world.” Stadio dei Marmi renovated for Roma 2024

<p><strong>Great Britain's Brendan Foster recounts his memorable and thrilling Roma 1974 European Athletics Championships 5000m triumph, when his vanquished rivals included Finnish legend and double 1972 Olympic champion Lasse Viren.<br><br></strong>A pivotal part of Foster's masterplan formulated to take down the formidable Flying Finns in Rome required his roommates to smuggle their bed sheets into the Stadio Olimpico.</p>
<p>"The plan was to run from the front and to try and break away in the middle by running a 60- second lap," recalled the great British distance runner and trailblazing race organiser.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"I got my roommates, Andy Holden and Ray Smedley, to sit at the front of the crowd at the end of the back straight and told them to start waving the bed sheets when I got clear."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>"I&rsquo;d read that Percy Cerutty had done that for [Australia's] Herb Elliott when he won the Olympic 1500m in Rome in 1960.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Nearly 50 years on, Foster will get a chance to reflect on how his grand plan came to golden fruition on that sticky September night at the Stadio Olimpico when he returns to the scene of his crowning glory as an honoured guest at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships from 7-12 June.</p>
<p>Fittingly, the man who founded the mass running phenomenon of the Great North Run will be back in the Italian capital not as &lsquo;Big Bren,&rsquo; as he was popularly known in his time as a beloved British track star during the 1970s, but as Sir Brendan Foster.</p>
<p>Foster, now 76, was given the prestigious honour of a British knighthood four years ago but he could have been given the accolade for the meticulous, doggedly determined and ultimately courageous manner in which he plotted and accomplished what he proudly recalls as "the best race I ever ran."</p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jj9N-RNlGG0?si=nuB_FA4rcZoC8KIX" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>The respected British publication <em>Athletics Weekly</em> went farther and bestowed the status of all-time greatness upon the future Sir Bren.</p>
<p>"He won a major distance championship like Zatopek and Kuts used to," wrote the editor Mel Watman in his race report. "Not since Kuts in Berne 20 years ago had a European 5000m championship field been humiliated in this manner."</p>
<p>In the Swiss capital in 1954, the Ukrainian Kuts crushed the opposition with a stunning run from gun to tape, finishing 12.2 seconds clear in a world record 13:56.6 with Britain&rsquo;s Chris Chataway pipping the Czech legend Emil Zatopek for the distant silver.</p>
<h2>Mid-race pace makes the difference</h2>
<p>In Rome, Foster brought an innovative variation on traditional championship-winning distance running tactics: a mid-race injection of pace that neutralised the fast-finishers.</p>
<p>"Basically, I was training to run against Lasse Viren and Juha Vaatainen," Foster recalled. "They had both won major titles with fast-finishing bursts: Lasse going faster and faster over the last 1000m and Vaatainen with a last lap sprint."</p>
<p>At the 1971 European Athletics Championships in Helsinki, where Foster won a bronze medal in the 1500m, the balding Vaatainen uncorked a stunning 53.8-second last lap to win an epic 10,000m final, taking 11 seconds out of the British favourite and world record-holder Dave Bedford as well as burning off the defending champion Jurgen Hasse from East Germany.</p>
<p>A former Finnish junior 400m hurdles champion and 10.9 seconds 100m runner, Vaatainen went on to win the 5000m four days later with a final circuit of 53.0.</p>
<p>At the Munich 1972 Olympics Games, where Foster finished fifth in the 1500m final, Viren completed an even more famous Finnish 5000m/10,000m double, winding up the pace with closing laps of 56.0 and 56.4 respectively.</p>
<h2>Aim change after world record</h2>
<p>However, after clocking a world two miles record of 8:13.8 at London's Crystal Palace stadium and then winning the European Cup Final 5000m in Edinburgh in 1973, Foster adjusted his sights to longer distances and had the Finns in his crosshairs as he prepared for the double major championship year of 1974.</p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MB5kx76oMXI?si=S4cVaZb5g5EJQPq6" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>The Commonwealth Games were held in late January and early February at Christchurch in New Zealand and &ndash; with his home track in Gateshead being subjected to an upgrade &ndash; Foster took his wife Sue to Malaga for a Christmas and New Year package holiday that doubled as a two-week warm weather training stint.</p>
<p>Running back from the track one day, he spotted a familiar balding figure ahead of him on the road: Vaatainen.</p>
<p>"On New Year&rsquo;s Eve we had dinner together, with our wives," recalled Foster. "Juha got a little bit drunk, and I&rsquo;ll never forget him thumping his fists down on the table and saying, 'I am the champion. In Roma I will be the champion again. Nobody can beat Juha. I am so quick.'"</p>
<p>Foster proceeded to run the third quickest 5000m in history at the Commonwealth Games, 13:14.6, albeit being obliged to settle for the silver medal when coming home 0.2 behind Kenya&rsquo;s Ben Jipcho at the end of a thrilling race.</p>
<p>At the start of the European outdoor season, he won a novel 3000m race at Wembley Stadium before English football&rsquo;s showpiece FA Cup final with Vaatainen finishing eight seconds adrift in second place.</p>
<p>"Afterwards, he started again,&rdquo; recalled Foster. "He was saying, &lsquo;You must remember, Juha will be champion in Roma. You will not be champion. Juha will be champion&rsquo;."</p>
<h2>Rome favourite</h2>
<p>After christening the new synthetic track at Gateshead with a 3000m world record of 7:35.2, Foster arrived in Rome as a clear favourite. Vaatainen was a notable absentee, struck down by injury in his quest to regain his killer form of 1971. and Finnish hopes were pinned on Viren rediscovering his Olympic elan.</p>
<p>Foster had debated long and hard with his coach, Stan Long, and his mentor and training partner, Lindsay Dunn, about whether his intended mid-race injection of pace would nullify Viren and any others rival who might fancy their chance in a sprint finish.</p>
<p>"We&rsquo;d spent weeks going over the various machinations &ndash; what if Viren goes with your 60-second lap, and so on &ndash; but I&rsquo;d made my mind up that I was going to do that," recalled Foster.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"I also remember distinctly on the bus going down to the stadium thinking, &lsquo;You can win this but you can also win it in style.&rsquo; When I was standing on the start line, I was thinking, &lsquo;Right, I want this to be a memorable victory.&rsquo;"</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Foster led from the opening 100 metres, clocking splits of between 63.3 and 66.0 for the first seven laps in stifling 85% humidity. Then, on lap eight, he put his foot on the gas.</p>
<p>"I had Andy and Ray waiting with their bed sheets, but unfortunately I was running against a double Olympic champion,&rdquo; he reflected. &ldquo;When I put in my kick, I could feel Viren right at my shoulder. I was thinking, &lsquo;My god, he&rsquo;s coming with me. What am I going to do?&rsquo;</p>
<h2>Sheet signals</h2>
<p>"If you look at the race again, halfway down the back straight suddenly a gap starts to open. The lads start waving their sheets in the crowd, and I&rsquo;m clear."</p>
<p>Foster finished a clear winner in a championship record 13:17.2 with East Germany&rsquo;s Manfred Kuschmann - the 10,000m champion in Rome six days earlier - taking silver in 13:24.0 and Viren the bronze, the only European medal of his career, in 13:24.6.</p>
<p>"It was the best race I ever ran," said Foster, who went on to take an Olympic 10,000m bronze medal behind Viren and Portugal&rsquo;s Carlos Lopes two years later in Montreal . "Viren came up to me afterwards and said, &lsquo;That was the best 5000m race I&rsquo;ve ever seen, but I was watching it from behind.&rsquo;</p>
<p>"I also remember, when I was doing my lap of honour, down from the group of Finnish supporters on the back straight came Juha Vaatainen.</p>
<p>"He came down to the edge of the track, shook my hand and he said, &lsquo;You are the true champion.&rsquo; I&rsquo;ll never forget that. It sort-of brought it all full-circle."</p>
<p><strong>Simon Turnbull for European Athletics</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>

Brendan Foster's Roma 1974 triumph: "It was the best race I ever ran"

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Reigning European champion Mykolas Alekna from Lithuania broke the longest standing men&rsquo;s world record on the books on Sunday (14) afternoon in Ramona, Oklahoma.</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">J&uuml;rgen Schult&rsquo;s previous world record of 74.08m dated back to 1986 and had survived the best endeavours of some of the greatest throwers in history - including Mykolas&rsquo; father Virgilijus who had come closest to breaking Sch&uuml;lt&rsquo;s mark with 73.88m in 2000 - but Mykolas took the record into uncharted territory in Oklahoma.</p>
<p dir="ltr">[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/C5xTaUZtxwh"]</p>
<p dir="ltr">In near-perfect conditions for discus throwers, Alekna hurled the two kilogram implement out to a history-making 74.35m in the fifth round to break the 38-year-old world record in a series which saw the Lithuanian surpass the 70 metre-line with all six of his efforts.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Alekna broke his previous lifetime best and European U23 record with three of his six throws. He also recorded marks of 72.21m and 72.89m in the first and third round respectively which were interspersed with throws of 70.32m, 70.51m and 70.50m.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">His series in full was: 72.21m, 70.32m, 72.89m, 70.51m, 74.35m, 70.50m.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Speaking on losing his world record, Schult told <em><a href="https://www.leichtathletik.de/aktuelles/news/news-detail/79210-weltrekord-fuer-mykolas-alekna-olympia-norm-fuer-mika-sosna" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leichtathletik.de</a></em>: &ldquo;I woke up my wife this morning with the words: you now have a former world record-holder at home. I had 38 years to prepare for it. There were some who could have made it, Virgilijus Alekna, Gerd Kanter or Robert Harting. The conditions were sometimes not right, but now everything came together."</p>
<p dir="ltr">"I immediately congratulated Mykolas Alekna. That was a really strong performance, you have to acknowledge that, including the series with six 70-metre throws. I never managed that in competition."</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Next stop: Roma 2024</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Alekna made history at the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships when he won the discus title aged just 19 to become the youngest ever male athlete to win a throwing title in European Athletics Championships history and the 21-year-old will be defending his continental title in just over 50 days&rsquo; time.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The men&rsquo;s discus is shaping up to be one of the standout events of the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships from 7-12 June.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Alekna will cross paths with Sweden&rsquo;s reigning world and Olympic champion Daniel St&aring;hl who will be motivated to complete the set of major titles, and the statuesque Slovenian Kristjan Ceh who will be looking to return to the top of the podium having come away with silver medals at the 2022 European Athletics Championships and 2023 World Athletics Championships.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">And if the conditions cooperate in the Stadio Olimpico, it seems eminently possible we could see the first ever 70 metre-plus throw at a European Athletics Championships this summer.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The championship record belongs to Alekna himself with 69.78m from Munich 2022.</p>

World record! Alekna launches 74.35m to break 38-year-old mark

European Throwing Cup highlights

<p><strong>Dutch phenomenon Femke Bol has committed to defend her women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles title at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships which take place on 7-12 June.</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Buy your tickets for Roma 2024 <a href="https://www.roma2024.eu/en/tickets-and-info/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Since winning gold in the 400m flat, 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay two years ago at the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships, Bol has gone from strength to strength.&nbsp;</p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UWHtohV45iU?si=bqcimk34u3SpuIpZ" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Last year she won the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles at the Budapest 2023 World Athletics Championships before famously anchoring the Dutch team to a glorious 4x400m gold.&nbsp;</p>
<p>She has continued in the same winning vein indoors, bettering her own 400m short track world record in winning gold in 49.17 at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow in March, where she once again ran the last leg for the Netherlands to win 4x400m gold.</p>
<p>As one of the true superstars of the sport today, her presence in Rome will add huge excitement to this year&rsquo;s European Athletics Championships. And Bol shares in the excitement.</p>
<h2>A great stadium</h2>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really looking forward to it,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I always love Rome. I had one of my first Diamond Leagues there in COVID times. There was this huge stadium and just two people I think in the crowd because it wasn&rsquo;t allowed.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Another year I was there and Tamberi (Italy&rsquo;s Olympic high jump gold medallist Gianmarco Tamberi) was jumping and the crowd went crazy. The Italians go crazy. There are so loud which is so nice. So, I am really looking forward to being able to compete there. I think it is a great stadium and track. It will be nice to be able to test myself also over the 400m hurdles.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I love the warm up track with the big statues around it. There is such a nice vibe and the weather is good. I must say the Italians are also really nice. I have run a few times there and they cheer for everyone and want everyone to do their best.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>A nice pressure</h2>
<p>With the Paris Olympic Games later in the summer, Bol will not be tackling the 400m double over flat and the hurdles as she did two years ago. But she also welcomes the expectation on her to defend at least one of her titles.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1692090063/Getty%20Easy%20Access/1415455637.jpg"></p>
<p>&ldquo;I won&rsquo;t do a double of 400m and 400m hurdles because that is too much right now,&rdquo; she says.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;But I think that is also nice. It gives a nice pressure. It also shows you &lsquo;Okay I have the medal, because I have already done it once - I know how I have done it back then. I have learned from it.' This is also something that helps, I think. A bit of pressure is never something bad.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The full interview with Femke Bol can be heard on the European Athletics new&rsquo; <em>Ignite</em> podcast series due to be released on 18 April, where she talks in-depth about her life and career in the sport, Roma 2024 and the Paris Olympic Games. Subscribe <a href="https://audioboom.com/channels/5051829-track-field " target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> and get it first.</p>
<p>The women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles final will take place on Tuesday 11 June at the Stadio Olimpico.</p>
<p><strong>Chris Broadbent for European Athletics</strong></p>

Femke Bol targets 400m hurdles defence at Roma 2024

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Sweden has pre-selected 28 athletes - 17 men and 11 women - for the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships from 7-12 June.</strong></p>
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<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Buy your tickets for Roma 2024 <a href="https://www.roma2024.eu/en/tickets-and-info/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p>
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<p dir="ltr">"In general, things look good for our national team. The vast majority are in very good shape and we have fewer injury problems than at the same time last year. That is my general feeling," said Swedish head coach Kajsa Bergqvist, the world indoor high jump record-holder, who believes the final squad may contain between 50 and 60 athletes.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Among those pre-selected include world record-holder Armand Duplantis who will be aiming for his third successive European pole vault title in Rome and Daniel Stahl who will be looking to complete the set of major titles in the discus having won one Olympic and two world titles.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M-AUgzj6FME?si=UAjxnbLuUw8IN8Qw" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p dir="ltr">Other significant names to be pre-selected include Olympic discus medallist Simon Pettersson, the in-form Andreas Almgren in the 10,000m and multiple world and European medallist Perseus Karlstrom in the 20km race walk.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Reigning European U20 400m hurdles champion Moa Granat will also make her European Athletics Championships debut as a senior in Rome.</p>
<p dir="ltr">At the last European Athletics Championships in Munich 2022, Sweden won one gold medal and two silver medals. Duplantis retained his European pole vault title with a championship record clearance of 6.06m and Thobias Montler, who has also been pre-selected, and Karlstrom won silver medals in the long jump and 20km race walk respectively.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">This is the current Swedish team selection for Roma 2024.&nbsp;</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Women</h2>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">200m - Julia Henriksson</li>
<li dir="ltr">1500m - Hanna Hermansson, Yolanda Ngarambe</li>
<li dir="ltr">Half marathon - Hanna Lindholm</li>
<li dir="ltr">3000m steeplechase - Emilia Lillemo</li>
<li dir="ltr">400m hurdles - Moa Granat</li>
<li dir="ltr">Triple jump - Maja &Aring;skag, Emilia Sj&ouml;strand</li>
<li dir="ltr">Shot put - Fanny Roos, Sara Lennman</li>
<li dir="ltr">Heptathlon - Bianca Salming</li>
</ul>
<h2 dir="ltr">Men</h2>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">100m - Henrik Larsson</li>
<li dir="ltr">800m - Andreas Kramer</li>
<li dir="ltr">1500m - Samuel Pihlstr&ouml;m</li>
<li dir="ltr">10,000m - Andreas Almgren</li>
<li dir="ltr">20km walk - Perseus Karlstr&ouml;m</li>
<li dir="ltr">Half marathon - Suldan Hassan, Jonas Glans</li>
<li dir="ltr">3000m steeplechase - Simon Sundstr&ouml;m</li>
<li dir="ltr">110m hurdles - Max Hrelja</li>
<li dir="ltr">400m hurdles - Carl Bengtstr&ouml;m, Oskar Edlund</li>
<li dir="ltr">Pole vault - Armand Duplantis,</li>
<li dir="ltr">Long jump - Thobias Montler</li>
<li dir="ltr">Shot put - Wictor Petersson</li>
<li dir="ltr">Discus - Simon Pettersson, Daniel St&aring;hl</li>
<li dir="ltr">Hammer - Ragnar Carlsson</li>
</ul>

Duplantis and Ståhl among 28 Swedes pre-selected for Roma 2024

<p><strong>Ana Peleteiro-Compaor&eacute;&nbsp;has a habit of rising to the occasion and producing her best jumps when it matters.</strong></p>
<p>Prior to last month&rsquo;s World Athletics Indoor Championships, the Spanish triple jumper&rsquo;s best three marks had come at global or continental championships and there is a sprinkling of similar big-time performances in her top 10 list.</p>
<p>Consequently, it should have come as no surprise to anyone that having made it to Glasgow, albeit somewhat through the backdoor via her place on the World Athletics Rankings, she uncorked a Spanish indoor record of 14.75m to finish as the leading European and end her time in Scotland with a bronze medal around her neck.</p>
<p><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1712249707/GettyImages-2056132603.jpg"></p>
<p>In fact, her distance &ndash; which came in the fifth round but was preceded earlier in the competition with marks of 14.67m and 14.64m which would have also seen her comfortably stand on the podium &ndash; was her second best ever, only shaded in her personal statistics by the Spanish record of 14.87m she produced at the Tokyo Olympic Games three summers ago when she also took the bronze medal.</p>
<h2>Double delight</h2>
<p>Not surprisingly, Peleteiro-Compaor&eacute; &ndash; now proudly competing with a double-barrelled name after getting married to France&rsquo;s 2014 European triple jump champion Benjamin Compaor&eacute; in September last year &ndash; will go to the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships as one of the favourites for gold.</p>
<p>It's an assessment, she doesn&rsquo;t dispute and actively embraces. &ldquo;The European Championship in Rome is coming, and I want gold,&rdquo; she declared in Glasgow.</p>
<p>If she does stand on top of the podium in the Italian capital it will be her first major outdoor title, although she did capture the 2019 European indoor crown, also in Glasgow.</p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ocFJSGM0eeQ?si=D12UoKxWgOHEoFrh" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>After her most recent success in Glasgow, Peleteiro-Compaor&eacute; now has six major championships medals to her name including a 2018 European Athletics Championships bronze medal.</p>
<p>However, she missed Munich 2022 as she was in the latter stages of pregnancy with her daughter L&uacute;a and an additional factor in her hunger to win in the Eternal City is that is still bristling about the fact that many people on social media &ndash; as well as some in the Spanish mainstream media &ndash; were perceived as writing her off when she missed 2022 due to being on maternity leave from the sport.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;This [bronze medal] is the result of a lot of effort. They [on social media] retired me 14 months ago and, even further back, 20 months ago.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>"Yet, here I am again, winning Spain's first medal [in Glasgow]," she proudly told the massed ranks of the Spanish media at the World Athletics Indoor Championships.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I was a bit emotional. It was a big fight this year coming back after my pregnancy. My coach [Cuba&rsquo;s four-time world long jump champion Ivan Pedroso] and I know how much I work I did to arrive here in the right shape. I saw myself fighting from the first jump to the last [in Glasgow].</p>
<h2>Come back stronger</h2>
<p>&ldquo;People always say you come back stronger after pregnancy. I do not know if it is true, but I am happy to be stronger because I could claim another medal at the Olympics.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I arrived [in Glasgow] under the radar,&rdquo; she reflected. &ldquo;But the summer is going to be completely different, people are going to train a lot, anything can happen, so I have to continue and let this just be a springboard.</p>
<p>&ldquo;This is just one more step to reach 15 metres, I have to take one more step. I'm not there yet but Ivan tells me, &lsquo;Yes you can do it,&rsquo; but I think I still need a little work.</p>
<p>Nineteen European female triple jumpers have gone over 15 metres in their careers and Peleteiro-Compaor&eacute; could well be the 20th in the near future, but she may have to achieve that halcyon distance to get gold.</p>
<h2>Bekh-Romanchuk and Mamona beckon</h2>
<p>The biggest threat to the Spaniard may come from two women she has not faced in competition for more than two years but can both boast of personal bests over 15 metres: Ukraine&rsquo;s reigning European champion Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk and her 2016 counterpart Portugal&rsquo;s Patricia Mamona.<br><br>Bekh-Romanchuk, who won with a personal best of 15.02m in Munich two years ago and took silver at the World Athletics Championships last summer, skipped the rest of the indoor season and prioritised the summer after just one meeting in Dortmund, Germany where she contested the 60m and long jump due to Achilles problems. <br><br>However, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/marynabekh/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bekh-Romanchuk's Instagram account</a> shows that she is back in full training at her warm weather camp in southern Portugal.</p>
<p>By contrast, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/patriciamamona/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mamona&rsquo;s Instagram account</a> shows that the 2021 European indoor champion, who finished one place in front of Peleteiro in Tokyo after jumping a national record of 15.01m, has departed her native country and been a training camp in T&uuml;rkiye in recent weeks.</p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rr6SVmBU-1w?si=mARLS4QkYF1j9nwS" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Mamona has also apparently been training well after missing all of last summer due to problems with both knees, which she put down to years of wear-and-tear from being one of the top exponents in the women&rsquo;s triple jump.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, despite both Bekh-Romanchuk and Mamona as well as several other potential medal contenders waiting in the wings to do battle with Peleteiro-Compaor&eacute; in Rome , the Spaniard declared in Glasgow: &ldquo;You can all write this headline, Peleteiro is back.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Phil Minshull for European Athletics</strong></p>

Ana Peleteiro-Compaoré: "I am going to Rome and I want gold"

<p dir="ltr">With 70 days to go, an exciting and iconic half marathon course taking in many of Rome&rsquo;s most famous landmarks has been unveiled for the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships from 7-12 June.</p>
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<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Buy your tickets for Roma 2024 <a href="https://roma2024.vivaticket.it/?qubsq=f9a9ef15-c156-47f5-ae5e-30d72c8d1f8e&amp;qubsp=1b194929-9697-4bc6-997b-4a952a97aeb3&amp;qubsts=1711706851&amp;qubsc=bestunion&amp;qubse=vivaticketserver&amp;qubsrt=Safetynet&amp;qubsh=5483d38fc9f989019d31f6b39b5fb0fb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p>
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<p dir="ltr">And for the first time since Gothenburg 2006, the half marathon or marathon course at a European Athletics Championships will finish inside the main stadium. Incidentally, the winner of the men&rsquo;s marathon at the 2006 European Athletics Championships was Italian legend Stefano Baldini.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Both half marathons take place on Sunday 9 June on a largely flat and spectator-friendly course, allowing fans to spot their favourite runners multiple times on their 13.1 mile journeys.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1711707375/MEZZA_MARATONA_.jpg"></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Dramatic start at Foro Imperiali</h2>
<p dir="ltr">The men&rsquo;s race is scheduled for 9.00am followed by the women&rsquo;s race at 9.30am with the Fori Imperiali providing an impressive and dramatic backdrop for the start of both races.</p>
<p dir="ltr">From there, the course passes some of the most iconic sites of the host city, running alongside the Altare della Patria in Piazza Venezia, then crossing the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and Piazza Navona, heading for Castel Sant'Angelo and St. Peter's Square, before moving towards Piazza Mazzini and reaching Lungotevere Guglielmo Oberdan, the main road along the River Tiber.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">After six kilometres, the athletes will then complete three loops of a circuit which passes the Ponte della Musica and crosses the Tiber on Ponte Duca D'Aosta.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">The closing kilometres of the course will be run through the grounds of the Foro Italico Park before a grandstand finish inside the Stadio Olimpico where the individual and team champions will be crowned.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And after the conclusion of the half marathon, the morning session of athletics will continue with a packed programme including the qualifying round of the men&rsquo;s high jump featuring reigning Olympic and European champion Gianmarco Tamberi who will be aiming for his third European outdoor title.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Crippa and Yaremchuk to lead Italy's medal hopes</h2>
<p dir="ltr">And Italy won&rsquo;t be without medal chances in the half marathon either. Reigning European 10,000m champion Yemaneberhan Crippa is also the third fastest European half marathon runner in history with his national record of 59:26 while Ukrainian-born Sofia Yaremchuk is currently the fifth fastest European this year with a season&rsquo;s best of 68:27.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;It will be exciting to run at home in Rome surrounded by culture and such beautiful architecture. There is a lot of expectation for Sunday 9 June and I hope to see a lot of spectators supporting the Italian athletes and champions from all over Europe coming to Rome,&rdquo; said Crippa.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1711707461/95e49753-794d-41e6-93e9-1f73c90b646b.jpg"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Yaremchuk said: "I am looking forward to this day of celebration. It will be like running through history: the course is beautiful - from the start in the Fori Imperiali, with the magical Colosseum behind us, to the Foro Italico Park and the finish inside the Olympic Stadium. It will be a fantastic half marathon for Rome which will become the capital of European athletics.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Historically, the marathon has been part of the European Athletics Championships programme but the half marathon was introduced in 2016 for Olympic-year editions of the European Athletics Championships and will serve as an important stepping stone for Paris 2024-bound marathon runners.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">This will be just the second time the half marathon has been held at the European Athletics Championships after Amsterdam 2016 where Switzerland&rsquo;s Tadesse Abraham and Portugal&rsquo;s Sara Moreira swept the individual titles.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It was also an auspicious day for Italy who picked up four medals in the half marathon in 2016. Daniele Meucci won individual bronze and led Italy to team silver in the men&rsquo;s race while Veronica Inglese won individual silver in the women&rsquo;s race, leading Italy to team silver.</p>

Historic half marathon course unveiled for Roma 2024 

<p dir="ltr"><strong>European and Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs will contest the 100m at the Rome Sprint Festival at the Stadio dei Marmi - the warm-up track for the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships from 7-12 June - on 18 May.</strong></p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">Buy your tickets for Roma 2024 <a href="https://www.roma2024.eu/en/tickets-and-info/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr">Jacobs missed the entirety of the indoor season - and the chance to retain his world indoor 60m title in Glasgow - but the Italian, who relocated to Florida during the off-season, is now fully focused and motivated for a busy summer campaign which will see him defend his European and Olympic 100m titles.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CsoLEa1T_n4?si=s35HaFbfM6QzDn_l" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p dir="ltr">"I can&rsquo;t wait to be there; running at home will be a fantastic experience. I&rsquo;m looking for redemption after two difficult seasons. This year I will be happy if I manage to defend both my 100m titles at the European Athletics Championships and the Olympics," Jacobs told Sky Sports Italia on his upcoming season&rsquo;s debut.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Jacobs broke through in 2021 with two gold medals at the Tokyo Olympic Games, winning the 100m title in a European record of 9.80 to become the first European sprinter since Linford Christie in 1992 to land the men&rsquo;s 100m title before triumphing as part of Italy&rsquo;s 4x100m relay team.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Jacobs backed up his breakthrough season by winning the world indoor 60m title in Belgrade, in another European record of 6.41, before adding the European 100m gold medal to his title collection at the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Making Rome Home</h2>
<p dir="ltr">And if Jacobs retains his 100m title in front of a packed Stadio Olimpico this June, he will become the first male sprinter since Christophe Lemaitre in 2012 to win back-to-back European 100m titles.&nbsp;<strong id="docs-internal-guid-73ce671c-7fff-8aa9-59a2-49c7ad65215f"><br></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">"On a mental level I am fine, I am very relaxed and very focused on training and in September I will be happy if I will confirm my two titles, the Olympic and the European one," he added.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"I am happy to make my debut in Italy in Rome, a city I love and where I will move soon," Jacobs also revealed.</p>
<h2>Breathing the atmosphere</h2>
<p><br>Meanwhile, Italtain athletics federation (FIDAL) Technical Director Antonio La Torre appeared at the Milano Running Festival, ahead of this Sunday&rsquo;s (7) Milano Marathon in a talk dedicated to Roma 2024.</p>
<p>"It will be great to see Jacobs again at the Stadio dei Marmi," added La Torre. "He will be able to start breathing the atmosphere of the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships in the stadium named (after) Pietro Mennea (1980 Olympic 200m champion).&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p>The talk, conducted by the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships Communications Director Fabio Guadagnini, was also attended by the Italian sprinter Roberto Rigali, a 4x100m silver medallist at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, the Roma 1987 World Athletics Championships 3000m steeplechase gold medallist Francesco Panetta, former AC Milan footballer and running lover Massimo Ambrosini and Sky Sport Italia journalist Nicola Roggero.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>A key moment</h2>
<p>&ldquo;Roma 2024 will be a key moment to understand what role Italy team is going to play at the Olympics Games in Paris. For athletes like Roberto Rigali, it will be a unique opportunity to compete in front of the Italian passionate fans. The technical level of the European Athletics Championships will be high, with international stars as Duplantis, Bol and Ingebrigtsen joining the competition," commented La Torre.</p>
<p><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1712336759/IMG-20240405-WA0049.jpg"></p>
<p>Rigali is also eagerly looking for the European Athletics Championships: "I am proud to be part of this group and of the Roma 2024 generation. Our secret is that we are stronger together. In Rome we want to give our best.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>10km run opportunity at Roma 2024&nbsp;</h2>
<p>La Torre also said that plans are in pace for a mass participation race at Roma 2024. "On the morning of the half marathon, Sunday 9 June, there will be a 10km mass race opened to all runners, amateurs and professional will run together," he said.</p>
<p>All details about the course and how to register for the Roma 2024 mass race will be announced in the coming days.</p>

Jacobs to race over 100m in Rome on 18 May

<p dir="ltr">Fifty years after Rome last staged the European Athletics Championships, we revisit some of the most memorable and incredible moments from the Roma 1974 European Athletics Championships.</p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">Buy your tickets for Roma 2024 <a href="https://www.roma2024.eu/en/tickets-and-info/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 dir="ltr">Distance running history for Holmen</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Finland is a country renowned for its history in men&rsquo;s distance running events but their sole gold medal in the distance events in Roma 1974 came in the inaugural edition of the women&rsquo;s 3000m.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Previously no Finnish female had ever placed higher than sixth in a track final at the European Athletics Championships but Nina Holmen ran her way into the history books, breaking away from a pack of six and winning the title courtesy of a 61.9 last lap in 8:55.10 - the second fastest time in history at that stage.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Holmen out-sprinted a notable field which included the Soviet world record-holder Lyudmila Bragina (8:56.09) and Brit Joyce Smith (8:57.39) who was making her major international track debut at the age of 36 some 14 years after just missing out on a place on the British 800m team at the 1960 Olympic Games - which also took place in Rome - and 10 years before competing in the inaugural Olympic marathon in Los Angeles at the age of 46.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And the Holmen family legacy at the European Athletics Championships continued into the 2000s. Her son Janne won the marathon title at the 2002 European Athletics Championships in Munich.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T6Br0LKSlZY?si=G_-3koySL7Mmulkc" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Szewinska sparkles in the sprints&nbsp;</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Eight years after winning three gold medals at the 1966 European Championships, Irena Szewinska stood on top of the podium again after achieving a sprint double against an athlete who had amassed an incredible win streak of 90 races between 1970 and 1974, including a 100/200m double at the 1971 European Championships.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But East Germany&rsquo;s Renate Stecher had to cede both titles to Szewinska who was back to her best after trailing home in sixth behind Stecher in 1971. Szewinska began her remarkable week by winning her first European 100m title in 11.13 into a 1.2 m/s headwind before achieving the sprint double, reeling in Stecher in the home straight to win the 200m in 22.51 against a headwind of 2.7 m/s!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Szewinska added to her tally with bronze in the 4x100m before concluding her campaign with a blazing 48.5 leg in the 4x400m. Despite her best efforts, the Poles just fell short of a medal in fourth but Szewinska&rsquo;s split was the fastest ever split recorded in a 4x400m at the time.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-htu5huT168?si=laa8thyYv1Q5ECIm" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Susanj&rsquo;s unstoppable sprint finish</h2>
<p dir="ltr">The men&rsquo;s 800m final in Roma 1974 featured three of the event&rsquo;s most talented and mercurial exponents which made for an instant classic.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">As British magazine <em>Athletics Weekl</em>y reported: &ldquo;Was there ever an 800m runner possessed with such devastating acceleration as Luciano Susanj? Was there ever such a brilliant 800m competitor, at the age of 18, as Steve Ovett? And was there ever an 800m star so hero-worshipped as Marcello Fiasconaro? The combined efforts of these three remarkable runners made this a race to remember.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Buoyed on by a partisan home crowd, Fiasconaro powered through 200m in 24.5 and 400m in 50.1 - described by Athletics Weekly as a &ldquo;do or die effort&rdquo; - but these heroics didn&rsquo;t do anything to blunt the finishing speed of Susanj who accelerated into the lead with 180 metres and opened up a winning gap of 15 metres for victory in 1:44.07. This remains the second fastest winning time in European Athletics Championships history.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In the scrap for the minor medals, an 18-year-old Ovett battled to his first major medal with silver in a European U20 record of 1:45.76 with Finland&rsquo;s Markku Taskinen taking the bronze in 1:45.89. A forlorn Fiasconaro faded back to sixth in 1:46.28, his front running efforts unrewarded.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;Fiasconaro started too fast,&rdquo; said Susanj in the aftermath of his victory. &ldquo;I knew he couldn't keep it up. I'm not ready for a world record now, but perhaps next year.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Last on that day was West Germany&rsquo;s Willi Wulbeck who would go on to win the inaugural world 800m title in Helsinki 1983.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9x-MCxScv8U?si=YxeLzQsrUp3QpYqr" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Foster front runs to 5000m gold</h2>
<p dir="ltr">It only took Brendan Foster eight seconds to hit the front of the 5000m in Roma 1974 in earnest and the Brit didn&rsquo;t relinquish the lead. "It was front running at its best: positive, unflinching, challenging," as described by <em>Athletics Weekly.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">Defying the 85 percent humidity and high air temperatures in the Italian capital, Foster ground his rivals into submission, including 1972 Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion Lasse Viren from Finland who bravely stuck with Foster before coming apart after the Brit cranked out an eighth lap of 60.2.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Foster's winning time of 13:17.21 was a championship record and he won by six seconds from East Germany's Manfred Kuschmann (13:23.93) and Viren (13:24.57) whose bronze medal in the 5000m was the sole European medal of his career which saw him win four Olympic gold medals.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tIumqbnwokc?si=SR0xExjhNvVz5mSy" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Mennea roared to Italy&rsquo;s first and only gold&nbsp;</h2>
<p dir="ltr">After settling for silver in the 100m final behind reigning champion Valeriy Borzov, Pietro Mennea was roared to the 200m title from lane two in front of 60,000 pertisan fans who had packed into the Stadio Olimpico.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;I come from a small town called Barletta. They nearly tore it apart last month when I won the national championship. I imagine there will be chaos there tonight,&rdquo; commented Mennea after winning Italy&rsquo;s first and only gold medal of the 1974 European Athletics Championships.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In doing so, Mennea emulated his hero Livio Berutti who had sprinted to Olympic 200m gold in the same stadium at the 1960 Olympic Games. Mennea himself would follow suit by winning Olympic 200m gold in 1980.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CpBs58YX5Tg?si=57PVWirjzyRj4uJn" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">The arrival of two of Italy&rsquo;s greats</h2>
<p dir="ltr">While it might not have been a vintage championships for hosts Italy who will be looking to better the five medals they won in 1974 this June, the international careers of two of Italy&rsquo;s greatest female athletes began in earnest in the Stadio Olimpico in 1974.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Sara Simeoni won bronze in the women&rsquo;s high jump final some four years before winning gold at the 1978 European Athletics Championships, equalling the world record of 2.01m. Like Mennea, Simeoni would go on to win Olympic high jump gold in 1980.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TZLY75RvnPY?si=JmRaO51NWkky_4Wt" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p dir="ltr">And only two months after celebrating her 17th birthday, Gabriella Dorio progressed through to the 1500m final - just the second time the event had been staged at a European Athletics Championships - where she finished a creditable ninth.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Dorio would also go on to win Olympic gold in her famed career although she would have a decade-long wait before clinching 1500m gold at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Steven Mills for European Athletics</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

Roma revisited! Six incredible moments from the 1974 European Championships

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Heading into a year loaded with medal-winning opportunities, it takes a lot of courage to make a change.</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">With the World Athletics Indoor Championships, European Athletics Championships and Olympic Games all on the horizon, many athletes might be unwilling to deviate from their set routine, preferring to stick with what they know.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But France&rsquo;s Cyrena Samba-Mayela decided it was a risk worth taking &ndash; uprooting herself from her home in Paris and moving to Orlando, training alongside reigning Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;It hasn&rsquo;t been easy from the start because everything is new,&rdquo; she says of the past five months. &ldquo;But everything helps me discover myself in a new way. It&rsquo;s refreshing for me as a person, but also as an athlete.&rdquo;</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Breakthrough in Belgrade</h2>
<p dir="ltr">After a breakthrough year in 2022, when she won the world indoor 60m hurdles title in Belgrade, Samba-Mayela had a disappointing 2023 &ndash; eliminated in the semifinals at both the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Istanbul and at the World Championships in Budapest. She had run a PB of 12.68 to win the French title last July, but only clocked 12.95 in the semifinal in Budapest a few weeks later.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;I was disappointed because I wasn&rsquo;t able to put in my best,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;But I gave everything I had so I don&rsquo;t regret it. I know [the semifinal] was a kind of ceiling for me. I knew I had way more stuff to work on, especially technically. It was another way to confirm I had to try something new.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">In recent years, Samba-Mayela had been based at INSEP, the French Institute of Sport, Exercise and Performance, studying architecture and interior design remotely. There, she&rsquo;d been coached by Teddy Tamgho, the 2013 world champion in the triple jump who led her to that world indoor title in 2022.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But with an Olympic year about to dawn, Samba-Mayela felt a change was needed. A friend of hers who is based in Florida knew John Coghlan, an Irish coach who guided Camacho-Quinn to Olympic gold in 2021 and she linked the two of them up, with Samba-Mayela moving to Orlando last October.</p>
<p dir="ltr">[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/C1O_LvrIAMm/?img_index=1"]</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;The training with John is really good, I&rsquo;m discovering a new way,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;I definitely see more volume in my training.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;It&rsquo;s pushing me to my best every day. I know how my opponents are running and how to run alongside them. You can see the way things are, how it is for an Olympic champion every day, taking that experience and changing everything I need to change with my technique, (learning) how I can go faster.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Coghlan made a raft of changes with her mechanics. He watched her win the world indoor title in 2022 at the age of just 21 and was highly impressed. &ldquo;I thought, yeah, she could be really good,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;She obviously was really good, but I saw more potential there.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">He says Samba-Mayela is &ldquo;like a sponge; she wants more and more information&rdquo;, which makes her the ideal protegee. From the start, she was fully on board with the changes needed.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;It&rsquo;s much more technical than this, but her concept of hurdling was jumping across the hurdle and you&rsquo;ve got to run through the hurdle,&rdquo; says Coghlan. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s modified sprinting, not jumping or hurdling as such. That&rsquo;s very general and easy to say, but we&rsquo;re breaking things down way more into specific movement patterns and doing a lot of drills, trying to breach coordination barriers. Movement and coordination is a huge part of hurdling, and it&rsquo;s easier said than done to change it.&rdquo;</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Silver in Glasgow an unexpected bonus</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Given the changes in the winter months, Samba-Mayela didn&rsquo;t make concrete plans for the indoor season, aware that her hurdling would be very much a work in progress until the summer.</p>
<p dir="ltr">They decided she would race some low-key events rather than take on the best at the Millrose Games or other top-level meetings. When she ran 7.90 in Arkansas in February, Coghlan acquiesced to Samba-Mayela&rsquo;s desire to compete at the World Indoor Championships.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;I wanted the gold medal but the intent was about the honour &ndash; to defend my title,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;I am going through so many changes so I couldn&rsquo;t predict everything I was going to do. I had really good sensations in training.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Still, their eyes were focused primarily on the outdoor season, with anything she did in Glasgow simply a bonus. &ldquo;A month before the world indoor final, she was running up grass hills,&rdquo; says Coghlan. &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t what you&rsquo;d do if you wanted someone to really run fast indoors.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">But as soon as Samba-Mayela took to the track in Glasgow, she knew things were clicking. She ran 7.81 to win her heat, then broke the French indoor record to win her semifinal in 7.73. In the final she ran 7.74 to win silver, beaten by Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas, who ran a world record of 7.65.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1711446815/GettyImages-2056547846.jpg"></p>
<p dir="ltr">As big of an achievement as it was, one of the best things about it was how excited it left her about the outdoor season. &ldquo;I had so much energy left to use and I wasn&rsquo;t at my top speed yet,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;My thought after that was that if it was the 100m hurdles, it might be so much better.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">The first major target of the summer is the European Athletics Championships in Rome from June 7-12 when Samba-Mayela is among the leading contenders. In 2021, she won silver behind Poland&rsquo;s Pia Skrzyszowska in the European Athletics U23 Championships in Tallinn, but for all of her brilliance since, she&rsquo;s yet to win a senior European medal.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Dress rehearsal for Paris in Roma 2024</h2>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;I plan to go to Rome and have as much fun as I had during the World Indoor Championship,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to defend my flag, defend my country as best as possible, which is always winning. I know I will face great competition, like Pia, (Nadine) Visser, (Ditaji) Kambundji. It&rsquo;s going to be a really great way to prepare for the Olympics.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">After Rome, she will have almost eight weeks to prepare for the Olympics. The Stade de France is less than half an hour&rsquo;s drive from where Samba-Mayela&rsquo;s parents live in Champigny-sur-Marne.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Three years ago in Tokyo on the biggest stage possible, Samba-Mayela&rsquo;s Olympic dream was shattered after she injured her hamstring while warming up for her 100m hurdles heat, forcing her withdrawal. It&rsquo;s been a long wait for redemption.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really confident about this outdoor season,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;I know there is a lot of stuff I still have to work on. Yes, I figured out some technical work that I&rsquo;ve been working on but everything is not perfect, I&rsquo;m still at the beginning (of the process).&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Samba-Mayela plans to take in several top-level races on the circuit on the road to Rome and Paris to &ldquo;make sure I have learned everything and have mastered it&rdquo;. The indoor season was all the evidence she needed that the plan is on course and her outdoor PB of 12.68 is looking ripe for serious revision.</p>
<p dir="ltr">[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/CbYULhUMAs1/?img_index=1"]</p>
<p dir="ltr">She was in high demand with the French media afterwards, the hype building fast ahead of her home Olympics.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;My first medal in Belgrade was a surprise for people, they might have thought it was a miracle, in a way, so this silver medal was a way to confirm my position, that I am there,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Now a lot more people are behind me. It&rsquo;s helped me to believe more than I already believed in myself. I&rsquo;m not letting myself be troubled by (the hype). Attention comes and goes. I just take it as a plus. I&rsquo;m already back to work.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">And already dreaming of bigger days to come.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;I saw the potential in Glasgow, but I&rsquo;m preparing the final masterpiece for this outdoor season,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;And especially the Olympics.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Cathal Dennehy for European Athletics</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

Samba-Mayela prepares her “final masterpiece” for Rome

<p><strong>Lorenzo Simonelli, who recently won silver in the men&rsquo;s 60m hurdles at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24, is leading the calls for people to follow his own footsteps as a volunteer for the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, which takes place 7-12 June.&nbsp;</strong></p>
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<p>&nbsp;&ldquo;I have also been a volunteer in the past, at the Olympic Stadium for the Golden Gala and I invite everyone to attend the European Athletics Championships in Rome, which will be an incredible event. We athletes are waiting for you to have fun together, come and cheer us on,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<h2>1300 applications</h2>
<p>&nbsp;<br>Already, over 1300 people from across the world have applied to volunteer at this summer&rsquo;s showpiece. As well as a healthy number of local volunteers, the "Roma 2024 Volunteers" project has so far received more than 300 applications from outside of Italy, organisers reveal.</p>
<p>Humangest, as human resources supplier to the EuroRoma 2024 Foundation, which is organising is continuing its recruiting activities, with the term for applications being extended until 26 April with the aim of selecting 1100 people at the end of the process.&nbsp;</p>
<p>All those interested in participating in the Europeans as volunteers can fill in the form available <a href="https://eventi.humangest.it/job-seekers.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p>
<h2>Recruitment days</h2>
<p>The EuroRoma 2024 Foundation has also launched a volunteer recruitment campaign in high schools in the Lazio region and in amateur sports clubs (ASD) affiliated to Italian athletics federation (FIDAL).</p>
<p>To further support the campaign, 'recruiting days' will be held around Italy in the coming weeks to provide prospective volunteers with detailed information about the experience they will have during the event.</p>
<p><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1710932762/2245.jpg"></p>
<p>Three dates have already been set for the FIDAL Regional Committees: 27 March in Pescara, 10 April in Naples and 17 April in Rome.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Volunteers who become part of the 'Roma 2024 Volunteers' team will have the opportunity to meet the most important European athletes and watch the competitions at the Olympic Stadium in Rome.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Exclusive benefits</h2>
<p>They will also receive a number of exclusive benefits, including access to specific training sessions organised by Humangest and the EuroRoma 2024 Foundation, an official uniform made by Karhu, the official supplier of the event's technical equipment, which will be given to each volunteer, and participation in a special party.</p>
<p>After the selection phase, volunteers will undergo an initial general training course, both online and in-person, and will then be assigned to specific functional areas related to the organisation of the event: Accreditation, Spectator Services, Competitions, Protocol and Ceremonies, Media-Communication, Medical-Anti-Doping Area, Hotels, Logistics, Transport, Venue, Hospitality, Sponsor Services and Marketing.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Some of the volunteers will be around the city of Rome in strategic locations to provide information and cultural tourism services in the run-up to the European Athletics Championships.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Other useful information can be found on the official&nbsp;<a href="www.roma2024.eu/volontari" target="_blank" rel="noopener">event website</a> and <a href="www.humangest.it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Humangest website</a>&nbsp;</p>

Simonelli champions Roma 2024 volunteer drive

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Jakob Ingebrigtsen | Men's Athlete of the Year | Golden Tracks 2022

<p>European Athletics, Running Industry Alliance (RIA) and Running USA are proud to announce on Thursday (11) a landmark partnership aimed at enhancing the global running industry's business landscape.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This unique approach between the three prominent organisations signifies a milestone in showcasing innovation, collaboration, and growth within and for the running industry B2B (Business-to-Business) focus.&nbsp;</p>
<p>As part of this strategic alliance, the three running business conferences that each organisation stages annually or biennially will support each other in terms of best practices, cross-promotion, content, suppliers, services and sponsors.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The alliance will create bridges and provide a unified approach for industry leaders, stakeholders, and members to be able to access unparalleled networking opportunities, thought-provoking discussions as well as access to cutting-edge insights and trends that are shaping the running industry globally.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"Together, we will empower businesses, foster collaboration, and inspire positive change within the running industry business ecosystem. We all compliment each other through conference connection and focus, and we will create greater reach by a collaborative approach whilst still remaining independent to our members, associations and alliances," said Running Industry Alliance UK &amp; Ireland Co-Lead Rebecca Richardson.</p>
<p><strong><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1712748582/image002-1.jpg"></strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Delivering value to Running USA members and sharing the successes of those members with the global industry are key goals of this organisation,&rdquo; said Running USA Executive Director Jay Holder.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We&nbsp; are excited about the increased output of content, best practices and productive conversations that will come with working closely with our friends and partners at Running Industry Alliance and European Athletics,&rdquo; he added.</p>
<p>Running USA will offer its member rate to all members of Running Industry Alliance. It will also offer reciprocity on select member benefits, with Running Industry Alliance UK &amp; Ireland offering the same for Running USA members.</p>
<p>&ldquo;European Athletics shares a vision with Running USA and Running Industry Alliance on the continued growth and development of running,&rdquo; commented European Athletics CEO Christian Milz.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It is a critical branch of our sport, through which we can engage with a wide demographic of people, explore wider commercial opportunities and provide a valuable service to members of the running community across the world. &ldquo;The European Running Business Conference (ERBC) brings together major race organisers, our member federations, suppliers, and running media every two years so that we have a stronger and larger running industry in Europe.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Together with RIA and Running USA we look to expand the influence of the ERBC and its partners globally, by sharing knowledge and resources with our colleagues from the UK, Ireland and the USA.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;We look forward to collaborating closely on our Global Running Conferences to deliver best practice and be at the forefront of the international running industry,&rdquo; added Milz.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <strong>&nbsp;*******<br></strong></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li><strong>European Running Business Conference, 8-10 November 2024 in Athens, Greece.</strong><br><a title="https://erbc2024.european-athletics.com/" href="https://erbc2024.european-athletics.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://erbc2024.european-athletics.com/</a><br>&nbsp;</li>
<li><strong>The Running Conference presented by haku, 8-10 December 2024 in Loughborough, Great Britain.</strong><br><a title="https://www.runningindustryalliance.com/" href="https://www.runningindustryalliance.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.runningindustryalliance.com/</a></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><strong>Running USA Industry Conference presented by haku, 2-5 February 2025 in Louisville, USA</strong>.<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br><span style="color: #0070c0;"><a title="https://www.runningusa.org/" href="https://www.runningusa.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; color: #0070c0;">https://www.runningusa.org/</span></a></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1712748582/activitylogo_rbc_athens2024_fc_rgb.jpg"></p>
<p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p>

European Athletics, Running Industry Alliance and Running USA forge strategic partnership

<p><strong>European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov reflects of the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia which were held on Saturday (30). </strong></p>
<p>"I would like to congratulate everyone involved with the World Cross Country Championships which were held on Saturday.</p>
<p>"It was a superbly organised event and I think a huge amount of credit should go to my friends at the Athletics Federation of Serbia &ndash; Srpski Atletski Savez &ndash; and especially its President Veselin Jevrosimović and General Secretary Slobodan Brankovic for their courage in taking on this event at relatively short notice and their commitment to making it such a success.</p>
<p>"The pair were initially elected to their positions in 2008 and recently were once again elected to another four-year term which, I think, is a great testament to the regard in which they are held.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">European Athletics President <a href="https://twitter.com/DobriBulgaria?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DobriBulgaria</a> met with Serbian President <a href="https://twitter.com/avucic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@avucic</a> in Belgrade 🇷🇸 on Friday morning.<br><br>Among the topics of discussion was Serbia hosting future <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroAthletics</a> events.<a href="https://t.co/u5mIBA3L4D">https://t.co/u5mIBA3L4D</a><a href="https://twitter.com/srbatl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@srbatl</a> <a href="https://t.co/alOdcda0YQ">pic.twitter.com/alOdcda0YQ</a></p>
&mdash; European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1773670143907741767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<p>"Under their leadership, Serbian athletics has gone from strength-to-strength and the federation has graduated from hosting European Athletics age-group championships, remembering that the 2009 European Athletics U20 Championships were held in Novi Sad, to global competitions such as this World Cross Country Championships and the hugely successful World Athletics Indoor Championships two years ago.</p>
<p>"On the continental stage, the Athletics Federation of Serbia have contributed enormously as a Member Federation of European Athletics and staged many of our events including the 2017 European Athletics Indoor Championships and last year&rsquo;s European Athletics Congress, both of which were in Belgrade, and which has gained a reputation as one of the leading sports hubs in Europe.</p>
<p>"Belgrade remains the only city in the world to have staged the European Athletics Indoor Championships and then a World Athletics Indoor Championships as well as a SPAR European Cross Country Championships followed by a World Cross Country Championships; and we believe that organising a continental championships followed by a global event has proven to be the correct sequence in terms of transferring the knowledge and experience gained.</p>
<p>"I know that the Serbian federation has bigger ambitions as well, and I look forward to seeing them realised in the near future.</p>
<p><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1711815953/Website/a6174d96-1968-4213-af06-914b51f22bbd_bdjsoc.jpg"><strong>@:Nikola Adamovic (Belgrade 24 World Cross Country Championships LOC)<br></strong><br>"Turning my attention back to the World Cross Country Championships, I send my congratulations to the Great Britain and Northern Ireland mixed relay team for their bronze medal, Europe's first at these championships since 2017, and even though medals have been hard to come by for our Member Federations in recent years, it is worth emphasising that Europe is still at the heart of this particular discipline in our wonderfully varied and diverse sport.<br><br>"It was in Europe during the first half of the 19th century that competitive cross country running, as we now know it, emerged. Turning the clock forward to the present day, European countries have staged six of the last 10 World Cross Country Championships, so more than the rest of the world combined.</p>
<p>"During the last winter, 21 of the 26 World Athletics Cross Country Tour meetings took place in Europe. In recent years, thanks to European Athletics management, there has been a resurgence of interest in the ECCC Cross Country which brings together the top clubs in Europe.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"Most importantly of all though, the SPAR European Cross Country Championships is, without doubt, the most important continental cross country championship in the world and comfortably retains that position."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>"In our last edition in Brussels just a few months ago, we had 528 runners from 38 countries compete, which means more than three-quarters of our Member Federations were represented in the Belgian capital.</p>
<p>"This shows the interest across the whole of Europe in this event and, more broadly, cross country running.</p>
<p>"It is also clear that many distance runners and coaches are returning to the view that cross country forms an excellent base for progress and success on the track.</p>
<p>"Our collective attention in Europe now turns to an exciting summer ahead with both the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships and then the Paris 2024 Olympic Games getting ever closer.</p>
<p>"However, I think that the next SPAR European Cross Country Championships on 8 December &ndash; when we go to T&uuml;rkiye for the first time with this event with Antalya being the host city &ndash; will once again demonstrate that cross country running is thriving in Europe."</p>

“Europe is still at the heart of cross country running” 

<p><strong>European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić at the Serbian President's offices in Belgrade on Friday morning (29), one day ahead of the World Cross Country Championships which are being held in the Serbian capital.</strong></p>
<p>Accompanying the European Athletics President was World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, Athletics Federation of Serbia President Veselin Jevrosimović and Athletics Federation of Serbia General Secretary Slobodan Brankovic</p>
<p>&ldquo;It was a pleasure to meet Mr Vučić again and, on behalf of European Athletic, I took the opportunity to thank him for Serbia&rsquo;s support and enthusiasm for our sport and its commitment to staging continental athletics events,&rdquo; commented President Karamarinov.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Belgrade remains the only city in the world to have staged the European Athletics Indoor Championships and then a World Athletics Indoor Championships as well as a SPAR European Cross Country Championships followed by a World Cross Country Championships.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;We at European Athletics believe that organising a continental championship followed by a global event has proven to be the correct sequence in terms of transferring the knowledge and experience gained.&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Belgrade staged the 2013 SPAR European Cross country Championships and the 2017 European Athletics Indoor Championships.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We will have a lot more investment in athletics [in the future]. Thank you for always being happy to come to our country and showing respect for our country,&rdquo; President Vučić.</p>
<p>Among the topics of discussion was Serbia hosting world and European athletics events in the future.</p>
<p>President Vučić promised that the works on Serbia&rsquo;s national athletics stadium will start by the end of this year, and its completion is expected in 2027. He also expressed a desire to bring the World Athletics Championships and European Athletics Championships to Serbia.</p>
<p>Belgrade staged the 1962 European Athletics Championships when Serbia was part of the former Yugoslavia.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I know that the Serbian government and athletics federation have big ambitions withing our sport, and I look forward to seeing them realised in the near future,&rdquo; added President Karamarinov.</p>

 President Karamarinov meets with Serbian President Vučić in Belgrade

<p><strong>With exactly four months to go until the European Athletics U18 Championships in Banska Bystrica, President Dobromir Karamarinov has visited the offices of the host nation.</strong></p>
<p>The President visited the Slovak Athletic Federation and also the Slovak Olympics and Sport Committee. The meetings happened ahead of the European Athletics Executive Board meeting taking place in Bratislava 17-19 March.</p>
<h2>Sport at its centre</h2>
<p>On his visit, he said: &ldquo;Banska Bystrica was the 2017 European City of Sport, two years ago it staged the European Youth Olympic Festival. Recent research has suggested that about 77% of the population take part in some form of physical activity while almost 30% participate in competitive sport.</p>
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<p>&ldquo;The city and its inhabitants should be proud of these numbers and European Athletics is proud to be coming to a city that has sport at the centre of its cultural and social fabric.</p>
<p>&ldquo;In addition, there is the annual Banska Bystrica latka indoor high jump meeting which is one of the world&rsquo;s top specialist indoor competitions and this sell-out spectacular brings together every year the world&rsquo;s best exponents in this event.</p>
<p>&ldquo;As a World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting, this is a very important part of the European Athletics calendar and one which we have assisted for several years by providing a live stream and additional social media coverage that has helped it garner attention around the world.</p>
<h2>Digitalisation and innovation</h2>
<p>He added: &ldquo;We are supporting these European Athletics U18 Championships in a similar way &ndash; in line with the European Athletics Strategic Roadmap pillar of &lsquo;Digitalisation and Innovation&rsquo; &ndash; so that these championships have an unprecedented continental and global footprint.</p>
<p>&ldquo;This will be the first time that the Slovak Republic will organise a major European Athletics event on the track.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Outstanding championships</h2>
<p>&ldquo;However, having organised the 2017 SPAR European Cross Country Championships, the European Race Walking Teams Championships on several occasions and the European Throwing Cup in the recent past, in addition to the athletics competition at the 2022 European Youth Olympic Festival, European Athletics has every confidence that this will be an outstanding championships.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The championships themselves will provide four days of thrilling competition that showcases the very best European athletics talent in this age group. It is also an alluring look into the crystal ball of our sport.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Winners and medallists from the first two championships in 2016 and 2018 have graduated to become some of the superstars of our sport and I am sure, in time, that many will also do so from this edition.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;I would like to finish by offering a heartfelt thank you on behalf of European Athletics to the Slovak athletics federation &ndash; Slovensk&yacute; atletick&yacute; zv&auml;z &ndash;the Banska Bystrica 2024 Local Organising Committee, the city of Banska Bystrica and its Council, all the other host institutions, and partners as well as the officials and volunteers.&rdquo;</p>

President Karamarinov visits Slovakia with four months until Banska Bystrica

<p><strong>Athletics leaders from across the continent have returned to their home countries after a very productive two days at the European Athletics Chief Executive Officers (CEO) Conference which took place this week in Vouliagmeni, Greece on 13-14 March.</strong></p>
<p>52 representatives from 43 Member Federations - including CEOs, Directors and General Secretaries - participated in the high-level gathering of senior executives.</p>
<h2>Strategic roadmap</h2>
<p>The meeting brought together senior figures at a key moment with the European Athletics Strategic Roadmap 2024-27 beginning to come to fruition.</p>
<p>Presentations and discussions over the conference reflected the strategic priorities around competition, digitalisation and innovation and community in the Strategic Roadmap.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1710514336/6148703.jpg"></p>
<p>This included sessions such as 'Content is King and Data is Gold &ndash; Monetising the Digital', 'Performance &amp; Personal Achievement', 'Your Racing Team as your asset, European Running Championships 2025 - You are part of the big picture!', 'Growing the Athletics Community' and 'Our Sport in Values.'&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>The latter was presented by Celia Mendes, European Athletics Deputy CEO and David Grevemberg from the Centre for Sport and Human Rights.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Grevemberg's presentation focused on how a human rights framework can help sport fulfil its core and organisational values. The Centre has worked with European Athletics to provide recommendations on their human rights policy.</p>
<h2>Best ever</h2>
<p>European Athletics CEO Christian Milz said: &ldquo;I fully agree with our President Dobromir Karamarinov, the 2024 edition of the CEO Conference was the best ever organised. Participants and speakers are very happy with the discussions, networking and learning that occurred.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1710514394/6148723.jpg"></p>
<p>&ldquo;The programme was tailored to make this possible with the right balance of group discussions, top-down presentations and social activities. We are looking forward not only to the next edition in 2026 but to the next time we meet again on and off the track."</p>
<p>Photos courtesy of Eurokinissi</p>