one direction - european athletics · 2015-09-10 · anti-doping education: european athletics...

President Svein Arne Hansen & Team Making Changes

Council Takes Bold Early Decisions

Green Championships and Anti-Doping Education: European Athletics Events Achieve More

Running For All Setting New Standards

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N E W S L E T T E R O F E U R O P E A N A T H L E T I C S

ONE DIRECTION

I WAS DETERMINED to move quickly to make an impression in my first 100 days as the President of European Athletics. I knew this would mean a lot of travel, a lot of meetings, a lot of decisions. But even I had not realised how all-consuming the role would be! I have, of course, spent a lot of time at the European Athletics Head Office in Lausanne, speaking with Director General Christian Milz and the staff, leading my first Executive Board meeting and checking progress on the new headquarters being built next to the current offices.

One of my first trips as President was to visit SportAccord in Sochi. I was happy to support the IAAF kids’ athletics showcase and host a media roundtable while there, although I must admit I nearly turned on my heels at the airport and went straight home after hearing of all the drama unfolding at the Convention!

I was proud to be joined by Christian in May at the TINEstafetten in my home country of Norway, where more than 100,000 runners competed in the world’s largest relay race. Christian was also with me when I met with European Olympic Committees President Patrick Hickey in Brussels at the EOC EU Office. We discussed the recently concluded European Games and the integration of our European Athletics Team Championships 3rd League. I also attended the European Evening of Sports, organised by the EOC EU Office, and met a lot of interesting people.

As an aside, it came as a surprise that just before the Baku Games the Netherlands pulled out of hosting the Games in 2019. It is too early to say what athletics’ involvement in this new event will be in the future. We are, of course, committed to doing what is best for our sport on the continent, so we are open to discussing possibilities. We will continue to monitor the 2019 situation, and I will first discuss any involvement with our Council, but not probably until next year.

I was invited to the Ostrava Golden Spike in May and it was good to spend time while there with Czech Athletics Federation President and Council member Libor Varhanik. I was also present at the 16th Games of the

Small States of Europe in Reykjavik, where I met with the Icelandic Minister of Education, Culture and Sports, Illugi Gunnarsson. Next on my agenda was a trip back home to celebrate the Bislett Games’ 50th anniversary and lead my first full European Athletics Council meeting – two extremely proud moments for me.

I was warmly welcomed in Cheboksary for my first major event as President, the European Athletics Team Championships. It was a great event organised by our Russian friends. I was happy to meet with Russia’s Minister for Sport Vitaly Mutko there to discuss the future of our sport in Russia and Europe. I was also very happy to personally say thank you to the Minister because I received a kind letter from him on my appointment as President. He was one of the very first to send me a letter of congratulations, a very important and special gesture I very much appreciated. After that, it was on to Lisbon for the renewed Internacional Santo António meeting before heading back to Norway to meet with Edith Allern, an inspirational young woman. It was then back to Lausanne for a Bidding Seminar for the 2020 European Athletics Championships and 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships.

Now I am looking forward to the European Athletics U23 Championships and Junior Championships in Tallinn and Eskilstuna. Thanks to the local organising committees, host Member Federations, our hard-working staff, the volunteers, and everyone else involved in making these championships the best they can possibly be. I am satisfied with what we have achieved as an organisation at the beginning of my – our – journey. In my hometown of Oslo, the Council approved my plan to restructure European Athletics’ commissions to play stronger roles in the delivery of my agenda for change in the sport and my nominations of the chairpersons to lead each of the commissions. So, the framework is now in place. The work, though, has only just begun …

Svein Arne Hansen, President of European Athletics

Supported by the Council, President Hansen has covered a great deal of ground in his first three months.

Hitting the ground running

WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT

INSIDE TRACK | 3

Tickets available now for European Athletics events

INTERNATIONAL WEEK-LONG passes for the European Athletics Championships 2016 in Amsterdam are now available.

Purchase your tickets from www.amsterdam.2016.org to guarantee access to the Olympic Stadium and receive an Amsterdam City and Culture Pass, worth €150, as a bonus.

The European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam won’t just be a unique event for athletes and Dutch fans, it will be an unforgettable experience for fans across Europe. With parts of the championships taking place at iconic locations in the heart of the City and innovative fan engagement in the Olympic Stadium, it will be ‘Athletics like never before’.

Amsterdam is the cultural and commercial centre of the Netherlands, but also has an impressive sporting record. Amsterdam is looking forward to welcoming Europe’s best athletes in the summer of 2016. Dutch golden girl, Dafne Schippers (pictured above) is current European sprint champion and will no doubt hope to defend her titles in 2016.

This pre-sale not only allows international athletics fans to secure the best available seats on all five competition days with roof-covered seating guaranteed, but

it also provides visitors with an easy way to combine the European Athletics Championships with the cultural beauty Amsterdam has to offer.

Each year millions of tourists visit the city famed for its canals and high-gabled architecture. International visitors to the European Athletics Championships 2016 will have access to some of the top destinations the city has to offer.

Order now to receive a free Amsterdam City and Culture Pass which includes: • Five days of unlimited access to public transport in Amsterdam (bus, metro, tram) • Three days of free entrance to some of the best museums Amsterdam has to offer (e.g. Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum and Hermitage) • Free entrance to some of Amsterdam’s most popular excursions (Canal Cruise, Artis Royal Zoo) • Tourist map of Amsterdam

International visitors can buy a week-long pass for all five competition days, including the free Amsterdam City and Culture Pass now for €750. The pre-sale period for international visitors runs from April until September. General ticket sales start in September.

Amsterdam – European Athletics Championships 2016 tickets on sale to international visitors

EVENT PROMOTION

European Athletics Association Européenne d’Athlétisme

President:Svein Arne Hansen

Vice Presidents:Dobrimir KaramarinovFrank HenselJean Gracia

Director General:Christian Milz

Office:Avenue Louis-Ruchonnet 18CH-1003 LausanneSwitzerlandPhone +41 (0)21 313 43 50Fax +41 (0)21 313 43 [email protected]“Inside Track” is published by European Athletics

Co-ordination:James Mulligan, François SchrursEuropean Athletics Communication DepartmentPhone +41 (0)21 313 43 [email protected]

Text, Photos:James Mulligan, François Schrurs, SportBusiness Communications, Svein Arne Hansen, Christian Milz, Andy Heading, Getty Images

Design, Production:SportBusiness Communications2nd Floor, 5 Thomas More Square, London, E1W 1YW, United KingdomPhone +44 (0)208 421 [email protected]

Print: Pensord Press, UK

Follow us:facebook.com/EuropeanAthletics@euroathleticsYouTube/European Athletics

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COUNCIL NEWS

The alpine beauty of Bled in Slovenia was the backdrop to the 2015 Election Congress of European Athletics where 250 delegates from 50 Member Federations elected the President, Vice Presidents and members of the Council.

Congress elects new Council members

Front rowPangiotis Dimakos (GRE) Gabriela Szabo (ROM) Frank Hensel (GER) Dobromir Karamarinov (BUL) Svein Arne Hansen (NOR) Jean Gracia (FRA) Christian Milz (SUI) Gregor Benčina (SLO)

Back rowLibor Varhaník (CZE) José Luis De Carlos (ESP) Sylvia Barlag (NED) Jorge Salcedo (POR) Márton István Gyulai (HUN) Antti Pihlakoski (FIN) Alfio Giomi (ITA) Toralf Nilsson (SWE) Erich Teigamägi (EST) Salih Münir Yaraş (TUR)


COMMISSIONS ARE WHERE a lot of the work of European Athletics is done so it was no surprise that a review of the commission structure was one of the first items President Svein Arne Hansen addressed with his new Executive Board following his election in April.

The resulting revamp was presented to the European Athletics Council which approved a new structure to drive change in the organisation. In future the commissions will play a stronger role in the delivery of the President’s agenda for change in the sport. The Council also approved his nominations of the chairpersons to lead each commission.

Among the changes agreed in Oslo are new names and terms of reference for two previously existing commissions, the creation of two completely new commissions and the discontinuation of five commissions whose functions will be absorbed by those remaining in the structure. There will also be a greater percentage of women appointed to the commissions than in the past.

Welcoming the Council’s support President Hansen said: “My emphasis is on teamwork and commitment. One of the main aims of the new structure is to get people with different areas of expertise and experience working closely together and contributing to our projects.

Above: The Council

at work in the Thon

Opera Hotel, Oslo

President Svein Arne Hansen and members of the Executive Board reported to the 144th European Athletics Council in Oslo

I believe that with fewer commissions there will be more meaningful interaction and it will lead to increases in the creativity and energy we need to get things done.

“We also want additional input from the Head Office, which will be responsible for implementing many of the recommendations that come out of the commissions, so we will be appointing staff members to be the deputy chairs for each commission. Part of their role will be to maintain pages on the European Athletics website so everyone can follow what the commissions are working on and how they are progressing.”

The new commission line-up is as follows:� Member Federation Development Commission (Chair: Vice President Jean Gracia/FRA)� Events & Competition Commission (Chair: Council member Toralf Nilsson/SWE)� Business & Marketing Commission (Chair: Vice President Frank Hensel/GER)� Strategic Communication Commission (Chair: Vice President Dobromir Karamarinov/BUL)� Medical & Anti-doping Commission (Chair: Pedro Branco/POR)� Athletes Commission (Chair: Gunther Weidlinger/AUT) � Evaluation Commission (Luciano Barra/ITA, John Lister/GBR, Karel Pilny/CZE, Pierre Weiss/FRA)

Presidential plans backed by Council

The discontinued commissions whose topics will be covered elsewhere are: Clubs, Cross Country, Education, Mountain Running, Race Walking and Reflection. The total number of commission members has been reduced from 93 to 62.

Announcing the new line-up, President Hansen said that the process of contacting all the nominated members to get their confirmation had already started and would be completed within a week or ten days.

Pointing out that the number of positions to be filled by women, previously 19%, has been increased to 25%, he added: “European Athletics has been working

COUNCIL NEWS

to raise awareness and promote women leaders at all levels of our sport for some years through our Women’s Leadership Awards, a number of innovative seminars and other measures. It was really gratifying to see how many federations responded to these efforts and saw fit to nominate women for positions.

“Even if we could not use everyone nominated right now, I am sure that both more men and more women will be appointed to the expert groups and project teams we will be setting up to support the commissions in the coming months.”

Commissions Business & Marketing Events & Competition Member Federation Development Strategic Communications Medical & Anti-Doping Athletes Evaluation

Chair HENSEL, Frank (GER) NILSSON, Toralf (SWE) GRACIA, Jean (FRA) KARAMARINOV, Dobromir (BUL) BRANCO, Pedro (POR) WEIDLINGER, Günther (AUT)

Deputy Chair BRAUN, Charles WAKIM, Marcel SINTES, Marc MULLIGAN, James KUMAR, Aditya GLACIER, Sandrine

Members BENCINA, Gregor (SLO)

KOWALSKI, Frank (GER)

PIHLAKOSKI, Antti (FIN)

TERNISSIEN, Julien (SUI)

VARHANIK, Libor (CZE)

Representative European

Athletics Marketing AG

ALEXANDER, Cherry (GBR)

DE CARLOS, José Luis (ESP)

DIMAKOS, Panagiotis (GRE)

HAMM, Frank (GER)

O’CALLAGHAN, Pierce (IRL)

PUHALEVA, Galia (BUL)

RICCARDI, Anna (ITA)

SALCEDO, Jorge (POR)

SEILER, Christoph (SUI)

IAKOVAKIS, Periklis (GRE) -

Athletes Commission

DAVIS, Nick (IRL)

DLUGOSIELSKI, Piotr (POL)

GIOMI, Alfio (ITA)

HÖGBERG, Curt (SWE)

LARSEN, Jakob (DEN)

LUKOVIC, Ana (SRB)

SCHOEBEL, Jean-Pierre (MON)

SVENSEN, Charlotte (NOR)

TEIGAMÄGI, Erich (EST)

ZELICHENOK, Vadim (RUS)

AKSYONOVA, Olga (UKR)

BARLAG, Sylvia (NED)

BUTOV, Mikhail (RUS)

DIONISI, Nikolin (ALB)

EMMIYAN, Robert (ARM)

GYULAI, Marton (HUN)

HILDESKOR, Kjetil (NOR)

LIPPE, Sirje (EST)

MAURIAT, Julien (FRA)

STAPONKUTE, Ieva (LTU)

YARAS, Salih Münir (TUR)

STEINER Luka (AUT)

DEPIESSE, Frédéric (FRA)

DRISCOLL, Richard (GBR)

ENGSTRÖM, Jan (SWE)

HEMMERSBACH, Peter (NOR)

KUURANNE, Tiia (FIN)

TEITLER, Steve (NED)

IAKOVAKIS, Periklis (GRE)

LALOVA, Ivet (BUL)

LATVALA, Hanna-Maari (FIN)

OLSSON, Christian (SWE)

PEDERSEN, Isabelle (NOR)

VIZZONI, Nicola (ITA)

VELDAKOVA, Dana (SVK)

BARRA, Luciano (ITA)

LISTER, John (GBR)

PILNY Karel (CZE)

WEISS, Pierre, (FRA)

European Athletics Commissions 2015-2019 Appointments

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European Athletics to support new small states eventThe European Athletics Council agreed to provide a support package for a new competition to be organised by the Small States of Europe in the Olympic year, starting in 2016. The goal of the event is to provide an international team competition opportunity for athletes from the 10 countries of the Athletics Association of the Small States of Europe (AASSE) and other smaller countries in place of the European Athletics Team Championships, which is not staged in the Olympic year.

The package will include a grant of up to 150,000 EUR, the appointment of a Technical Delegate, and organisational advice.

Above: Delegates

from Italy and

Poland accepting

hosting honours

Andorra is one of

the AASSE member

Federations that

will benefit from the

Council decision

Meeting at its 144th session in Oslo, the Council had a busy agenda and made some far-reaching decisions

“This is fantastic news and I am happy we are able to help our smaller Member Federations,” said President Hansen. “The support is fulfilment of the commitment outlined in my election manifesto to provide customised development opportunities for our different federations.

“We are aware that many of them do not send large teams to the Olympic Games or the Olympic- year European Athletics Championships, and therefore their athletes need the motivation that will be provided by this event. I want to be clear that this will be an event organised by the AASSE and the host federation and not part of the European Athletics competition programme.”

European Athletics Council decisions

COUNCIL NEWS COUNCIL NEWS

A Full AgendaIn addition to these important decisions, The European Athletics Council discussed numerous other items over the weekend including:� Preparation for the IAAF Congress in August which will be held in Beijing (CHN);� Revamping the European Athletics Convention to take place in Lausanne (SUI) in October and preparations for an Extraordinary Congress to take place during the Convention;� Preparations for the biggest-ever European Athletics grassroots conference, which will take place in November;� Appointment of the Board members for the newly created European Athletics Marketing AG, a joint venture company that will be responsible for the sales of sponsorship rights linked to European Athletics events and activities;� A progress report on the construction of the new “House of European Athletics” in Lausanne.

The Council closed its 144th meeting in Oslo with the next meeting scheduled for 9-10 November in Frankfurt.

Bydgoszcz, Grosseto awarded Euro U23 & Junior ChampionshipsThe European Athletics Council awarded the 2017 European Athletics U23 Championships to Bydgoszcz, Poland, and 2017 European Athletics Junior Championships to Grosseto, Italy.

The Polish delegation was led by Piotr Dlugosielski, General Secretary of the Polish Athletic Association and Iwona Waszkiewicz, Vice President of the City of Bydgoszcz. They demonstrated their passion and desire to use the championships to promote athletics as one of the most popular sports throughout the country.

Poland has long experience in organising major athletics events. Sopot, on the country’s Baltic coast,

organised the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships, while Bydgoszcz’s neighbour Torun hosted the European Cup Combined Events in 2011 and 2014, both of which were a great success.

The success of Polish athletes such as Adam Kszczot, Anita Wlodarczyk and Marcin Lewandowski at the last European Athletics Championships in Zurich 2014, added to the strength of the Polish bid. Hosting the under-23 Championships will continue to support the strategy for the development of athletics throughout the country.

The 2017 European Athletics Junior Championships will be held in Grosseto, Italy, and Council member Alfio Giomi was on hand to sign the event contract with President Hansen. The Italian Athletics Federation has already successfully hosted the European Athletics Junior Championships in July 2013 in Rieti, and Grosseto was therefore a natural choice to host the event.

As well as the 2017 junior championships, Italy will also host the 2016 European Mountain Running Championships in Arco and 2016 SPAR European Cross Country Championships in the southern Sardinian coastal region of Chia. The Italian Federation will use these events to re-launch the image of athletics and promote it to the next generation of athletes and fans.

“Hosting the European Athletics Junior Championships is a continuation of efforts to reach out to younger athletes and fans in order to develop the champions of tomorrow,” said Giomi.

President Hansen confirmed: “The Council was pleased with the impressive presentations made by both bidders for two of our most important events. The European Athletics under-23 and junior championships are crucial to the development of young athletes across the continent and we look forward to these two great events in collaboration with the Polish and Italian local organising committees.”


EUROPEAN ATHLETICS HAS renewed its worldwide media rights contract with the European

Broadcasting Union (EBU) for the period 2016-2019. The deal covers global television and radio rights for European Athletics’ major events including the Amsterdam 2016 and Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships, the Belgrade 2017 European Athletics Indoor Championships and the yet-to-be awarded 2019 indoor championships.

The agreement also covers the European Athletics Team Championships and European Cross Country Championships taking place during the four-year contract period. The partnership with EBU has been in place since 1981 and this latest extension comes after impressive viewing figures for the most recent championship events. The Zurich 2014 European Athletics Championships had a cumulative audience of 358 million.

European Athletics Director General Christian Milz welcomed the deal saying: “We aim to continue to work with EBU to ensure our sport remains an attractive product for television audiences in Europe – and worldwide. And in synergy with EBU and using their expertise, we also look forward to realising the potential

of our video content on multiple digital platforms to reach an even wider audience including more young people.”

For EBU, the deal represents a continued commitment to athletics and the promotion of European Athletics’ major championships on free-to-air television channels. Stefan Kuerten, EBU Director of Sports & Business Department, said the new agreement was, “a win-win for athletics, for the EBU Members, and for our long-standing partner, European Athletics.”

European Athletics and EBU sign long-term agreement

News in Brief

EUROPEAN ATHLETICS MARKETING AG, a new Swiss-based organisation, will be a

service company for commercial and sales activities, including sponsor account management and rights delivery.

European Athletics is the main shareholder of the new company and will maintain ownership and control of its commercial properties. Tridem, the other partner in the joint venture has a similar successful arrangement with the International Ski Federation which has been running for the past six years.

European Athletics holds three seats out of five on the Board of Directors. Libor Varhanik will preside with Niels de Vos and Director General Christian Milz the other two board members.

President Svein Arne Hansen said: “We are confident that this new company will help us create additional value

and revenues from our events and activities. Tridem has expertise and know-how in sales, marketing and event implementation, and the experience in networking and developing relationships with business companies.” For Tridem the joint venture represents its first big project outside winter sports and Founder and CEO Christian Pirzer is confident that it will help to develop the commercial programme of athletics in Europe.

One of the first tasks of European Athletics Marketing will be to develop the sponsorship programmes of our major events and work with local organising committees to optimise event revenues.

The company will also actively look for partnerships for our other activities and programmes, including the European Athletics Convention, Young Leaders programme and the new “Running for All” initiative.

European Athletics creates new marketing company

SPAR, THE WORLD’S LARGEST organisation of independent food retailers, has extended its

commitment to European Athletics for a further three years, from 2017 to 2019

SPAR International Managing Director, Dr. Gordon Campbell said: “The sponsorship of European Athletics’ championship events provides an excellent vehicle for growing SPAR Brand awareness among consumers. We are proud to associate the SPAR Brand with these prestigious athletics championships.”

SPAR has been an International Partner of European Athletics’ major events since 1996 and the new contract, which commences in January 2017, will incorporate the European Athletics Championships in Berlin, the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, the SPAR European Cross Country Championships and the European Athletics Team Championships.

The current four-year contract sees SPAR as an International Partner for the upcoming SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Hyères, France, in December, Amsterdam 2016 European Athletics Championships and 2016 SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Chia, Italy. President Hansen thanked Dr. Campbell and Honorary President Hansjörg Wirz for their hard work in ensuring that the partnership will continue.

He said: “We have ambitious plans to drive our sport forward in the next four years, to be more visible, to be stronger, and to be a more important part of European culture. I am sure our close relationship with SPAR will ensure we can continue to showcase our main events in the best possible way.”

European Athletics extends SPAR partnership until end of 2019

TV & MARKETING

Inside Track: What is the European Sports Championships?Svein Arne Hansen: The European Sports Championships is a new multi-sport concept bringing together existing individual European Championships. At least five Sports will be included in the inaugural event – athletics, swimming, cycling, rowing and triathlon – in a 12-day celebration of European sport. The project is being run by the leading European federations with Athletics and Swimming driving it forward. Berlin and Glasgow will host the event in 2018 with Berlin staging the athletics and the other sports going to Glasgow.

IT: Why have the individual sports federations joined together?SAH: There are several key benefits for athletics and the other sports not least the boost to the status of European Champion which will make the event extremely attractive. The profile and exposure of each existing European Championships will be increased through combined promotion and bigger stadium audiences. There is also the massive potential reach of a live television audience through our free-to-air broadcast partners in the EBU. Some have been concerned that this will overload an already crowded calendar but creating one combined

event will actually help de-clutter it by bringing the Champions of Europe together.

IT: How will the event be organised?SAH: The European Athletics Championships will be organised by the DLV, in close cooperation with Berlin on behalf of European Athletics. Certain services will be delivered on their behalf by the newly-created European Sports Championships Management who are coordinating the project on behalf of stakeholders. Glasgow and Berlin are recognised as world-class host cities with fantastic sporting facilities and exceptional event staging experience. The two host cities will be united into one multi-sport concept through a central timetable for television. IT: How are the European Sports Championships different from the European Games?SAH: The European Games are being run by the European Olympic Committee and are a completely new event in the sporting calendar. The European Sports Championships comprise existing European Championship events run by the European federations of each sport. The sports that have decided to come together are those whose European Championships already receive significant attention.

They provide an extensive and varied programme for spectators on site and on television and packaging them together will result in one exciting and economically sustainable event held every four years.

IT: Will there be any conflict for athletes taking part in the Commonwealth Games in Australia’s Gold Coast in 2018?SAH: No. The Commonwealth Games will take place in April meaning there is no clash for competitors. The European Sports Championships will enjoy its place in a busy year of sport including the Commonwealth Games, the Winter Olympics and the Football World Cup. In future years it will be staged so that it does not clash with any of these important existing events. In fact by bringing a number of European Championships together into one concentrated period, avoiding calendar conflicts becomes easier.

In common with the other European sports federations involved, we are confident that this event will be a great success and we believe it will take our championships to an even greater level of success.

A detailed presentation outlining European Athletics’ involvement in the European Sports Championships will be made to all our Member Federations during the upcoming European Athletics Convention in Lausanne.

With the first edition of the European Sports Championships coming up in the summer of 2018, we asked

President Svein Arne Hansen to explain how it will work

European Sports Championships

INTERVIEW


TEAMS FROM ALL four leagues were in action on a spectacular weekend of athletics action around Europe. Russia won the Super League in front of an enthusiastic home crowd in Cheboksary. The Czech team dominated the First League competition in Heraklion with the Greek hosts in second place. Both will be promoted to the Super League along with Netherlands.

The Second League competition took place in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria where the hosts were narrowly beaten by Denmark. Both will be promoted to the First League. The Third League was staged as part of the European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan. Slovakia secured victory by just 0.5 points over Austria.

Memories from all four leagues

TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

CHEBOKSARY

HERAKLION

STARA ZAGORA

BAKU


THE SWEDISH CITY OF ESKILSTUNA prides itself of being one of the greenest in Europe so it is no surprise that the European Athletics Junior Championships being hosted there will set new environmental standards.

The organisers want to create the conditions and opportunities for both visitors, athletes coaches and officials to be able to make eco-conscious decisions during their stay in Eskilstuna. At least 30% of all goods on offer during the event will be defined as environmentally friendly. Refreshments will be fair trade or equivalent, drinking water will be free and the consumer products for sale will be ecologically certified.

Visitors from the region will be advised about public transport options and other eco-friendly ways of traveling to the venue. Extra facilities will also be laid on for cyclists to travel and store their bicycles.

Behind the scenes, all the electricity consumed during this festival of sport will be produced from renewable sources and great efforts will be taken both to

When the European Athletics Junior Championships is staged this summer it is not just medals at stake: Eskilstuna will also set the Green Inspiration standard

reduce waste and to reuse or recycle all materials. Non-recyclable materials will be avoided as will the overuse of throwaway products like flyers.

All waste will be thoroughly sorted so that it can be reused, recycled or composted with a minimum amount being sent for incineration or landfill. Watching over these good habits will be a small army of supervisors and cleaning patrols whose job is to set an example and inspire all participants to play their part.

As a result the Eskilstuna 2015 Junior Championships were awarded the European Athletics Green Inspiration label which is the the recognition given to athletics activities and events that promote sustainability and social responsibility.

Supporting the organisers in Eskilstuna is Susanna Thörn Environmental manager at the company Eskilstuna Energi & Miljö. For Susanna, the European Junior Championships is an opportunity for Eskilstuna to spread the knowledge of

Greener Championships

eco-friendly and energy-efficient working to people from a large region.

“We want to show it’s possible to work with these issues and to share our experience and the positive results that it may bring,” she says. Susanna has worked in the same way with other events in Eskilstuna, most recently the Eskilstuna City Festival, Eskilstuna Springpride and Eskilstuna Park Festival all in 2014.

“As a part of my job in this assignment, I’m having regular meetings with the Secretary General, Karin Movin, where we go through the demands for this event. We check the requirements concerning the organisers and the demands that are made in our checklist. I’ve also attended project group meetings where I share information on how the environmental work is progressing,” says Susanna.

“This event will convey the message of a bright future, where the stars of tomorrow take part in a championships in the environment of tomorrow.”

PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS

”This event will convey the message of a bright future, where the stars of tomorrow take part in the environment of tomorrow.”

THE ATHLETICS ACTION is hotly anticipated at this summer’s European Athletics U23 Championships in Tallinn where stars like Russia’s Mariya Kuchina will no doubt draw the crowds. The high jumper will seek a successful return to the Kadriorg Stadium where she won her first major title becoming European junior champion in 2011.

Several of those who made their mark at the European Athletics Junior Championships here in 2011 will be back to challenge for medals at the under-23 level this summer. Joining them will be race walkers Anezka Drahotov, the European junior champion from the Czech Republic and Ukrainian Lyudmyla Olyanovska who took the silver medal in 2013 and competes for the last time in the U23 age category.

But one thing all the athletes will gain is the chance to take part in a series of innovative anti-doping activities. The European Athletics Anti-Doping Education Programme has been organised on the sidelines of several events in the past including the Tampere 2013 European Athletics U23 Championships, Rieti 2013 European Athletics Junior Championships

An anti-doping education programme will be one of the central elements of the upcoming European Athletics U23 Championships in Estonia and Junior Championships in Sweden.

and Baku 2014 European Youth Olympic Trials. This year the successful formula is being repeated in Tallinn and in Eskilstuna.

As last time, athletes will be encouraged to take part in a series of activities aimed at helping raise their awareness and enhance their knowledge of anti-doping issues. In Tampere and Rieti almost 50 per cent of all athletes took part and the organisers are hoping for another big turnout.

Participating athletes will be asked to take part in an informative quiz designed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

All participants will receive a branded t-shirt with the slogans of the programme – I Run Clean, I Jump Clean, I Throw Clean, I Walk clean, if they score more than stipulated level of marks in the quiz.

Social media will be used to magnify the message with athletes sharing information with their fellow competitors and encourage aspiring athletes to adopt a clean approach to sports through a Twitter campaign using the hashtags #IRunClean, #IJumpClean #IThrowClean and #IWalkClean. Overall the intention is that the message of anti-doping comes

Raising awareness in Tallinn and Eskilstuna

over loud and clear through the events.One of those who will lead the

programme, Xicu Colomar, a European Athletics Young Leader from Spain said: “I am honored to be part of this initiative and I have no doubts it will be a complete success. I am looking forward to working closely with the volunteers who will help us deliver the activities. We will all try to engage as many athletes as possible into the anti-doping education. We understand having a clean sport is essential, and that’s why I will put all my enthusiasm and knowledge into it.”

His colleague, another Young Leader, Katrin Heyers from Germany is also looking forward to the event saying: “I am excited to deliver the programme during the competition together with Marc Sintes [of European Athletics], and the volunteers. Our goal will be helping the athletes through the process of developing their own point of view and finding their personal reasons for a doping-free life. Every athlete wearing our t-shirt will make a statement and will help us reaching our goal of a doping-free culture in future athletics.”

PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS


DIRECTOR GENERAL

DIRECTOR GENERAL CHRISTIAN MILZ announced in December’s Inside Track that a site had ben purchased for a new headquarters. Six months on and the car park that stood on the site adjacent to our rented office in Lausanne, Switzerland, has been demolished, foundations have been laid and the new building will soon emerge.

When he inspected the construction site in May, President Hansen announced the installation of a webcam that will be following the development of the new building as it happens. An image of the construction site, updated every 15 minutes, is available to view via the internet from anywhere in the world. Search for “New Headquarters Webcam” on european-athletics.org to track progress.

Construction of the four-storey building, just a 400-metre walk from Lausanne main station, is expected to be completed mid 2016. European Athletics will use the first two floors for its new offices, with the top two floors to be rented out. The building will also have underground parking (essential in the crowded streets of Lausanne) and an archive area dedicated to European Athletics on two basement floors.

The project was agreed by the European Athletics Council who anticipated the expansion and development of the operational activities of the organisation in 2013.

IT IS HARD to believe that it is only three months since the European Athletics Congress in Bled. The decisions taken by our Member Federations have brought about a new beginning and a sense of real change in the first 100 days of Svein Arne Hansen’s Presidency. New structures, new faces, new thinking: we are at the start of a new era.

President Hansen is already bringing his own style and a different culture to the post and this change has brought a real sense of excitement in our sport on the continent. Speaking on behalf of the Executive Board, the Council, the Head Office, the entire European Athletics Family, we can say that excitement is palpable.

Since the election, the Executive Board have worked hard to set the scene for the next four years. The review of the scope and composition of the Commissions was one of the first items President Hansen addressed with his new Board. His aim has been to create a business-oriented organisational structure for our Commissions, expert groups and project teams made up of people with the working capacity and expertise to make a real contribution.

Among the changes called for by the President is the creation of two completely new Commissions: a Business

Above: Artists

Impression of the new

European Athletics

headquarters in

Lausanne which is

due be operational in

the autumn of 2016

Installation of a webcam means you can follow the construction as the new European Athletics headquarters takes shape

The election of our new President and big changes to our Commissions mean we face the future with confidence.

Developments in the meantime have meant that the current offices are bursting at the seams and a new space totalling 916 square metres will be very welcome.

Sustainable FutureOwning our headquarters will secure the long-term future of European Athletics, but that is not all that is sustainable about the new building. Our architects were asked to pay particular attention to the construction of a sustainable building that minimises the impact on the environment.

There will be a connection to the central heating system provided by the City of Lausanne that produces energy through the burning of waste. The new building will feature a green or ‘living’ roof that will provide insulation and help to combat the ‘heat island’ effect in the City.

The roof will also generate extra energy through the placement of solar panels covering 50 square metres. There will be an air-refreshment system and no air-conditioning system further improving the overall energy balance of the building.

Once construction is complete, a short period of time will be required to equip the offices and our new headquarters is set to be operational by autumn 2016.

& Marketing Commission and a Strategic Communication Commission. The creation of these two Commissions was ratified by the Council in Oslo in anticipation of some of the key challenges our sport faces now and in the future. Alongside these Commissions are the constitutional Commissions, renamed as the Event & Competition Commission and Member Federations Development Commission. There is also the Medical & Anti-doping Commission and Athletes Commission.

Each Commission will have the authority to establish expert groups and project teams. They will have access to a deep pool of expertise selected from 75 names put forward by the Member Federations prior to the Council. This pool of people is ready to serve on one of the Commissions or input on at least one of 20 specific topics important to the development of the sport on the continent. Outside experts may also be called upon to join one of these groups and this additional expertise and experience will be crucial.

In parallel to the political structural changes, there are changes in the Head Office with the creation of a combined Event & Competition Department, alongside our Communication & Branding

Watch us grow

An exciting new era for

European Athletics

NEW HEADQUARTERS

Department, Member Federations Development Department, and also Corporate Services, Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, and Special Projects.

We have taken time since the elections to plot our course for the next four years, in terms of the appointment of Commission members representing the right mix of geography, know-how and experience. We are confident we have achieved right balance in the composition of the Commissions and particularly pleased that we have been able to increase percentage of women members. There have also been a significant number of women put forward by our Federations to be part of expert groups and project teams supporting our Commissions.

The President’s emphasis is on teamwork, and we believe the changes we have made will facilitate the kind of inclusive decision-making that will be key to our future. From the Executive Board, to the Council, to the Member Federations, we will all be involved in the development of ideas and projects to drive our sport forward. And the President will empower our Head Office in Lausanne to implement the decisions made and contribute their own ideas as deputy chairs and observers of the Commissions. We are on the right path, fully equipped and ready to embrace the challenges of the next four years.

By Christian Milz, Director General of European Athletics


EUROPEAN ATHLETICS AWARDS

AMONG THE FORMAL business conducted at the 2015 Congress there was the opportunity to recognise the outstanding and long service of some of those who have been associated with European Athletics for many years.

Outgoing President Hansjörg Wirz handed over to President Hansen after 16 years of leading the organisation. He was awarded the well-deserved status of Honorary President. Outgoing Vice President Karel Pilny of Czech Republic was awarded

Main Image: The

beautiful scenery

of Bled was the

backdrop for the

awards.

the position of Honorary Council member.Outgoing Council member Francesco Arese of

Italy received the European Athletics Plaque of Merit. Plaques of Merit were also awarded to Frantisek Fojt (CZE), Pierre Weiss (FRA) and Peter Marlow (GBR).

Outgoing Council member Erki Nool of Estonia received the European Athletics Golden Pin along with Milan Pedalo (BIH), Stefan Kuerten (GER), Eimantas Skrabulis (LTU), Serghei Donets (MDA), Marjan Hudej (SLO) and Ivica Matijevic (SRB).

Award winners honoured in Bled

Eimantas Skrabulis Serghei DonetsMilan PedaloStefan Kuerten

Karel Pilny Frantisek FojtFrancesco AreseHansjörg Wirz

Pierre Weiss Erki Nool Peter Marlow

Marjan Hudej Ivica Matijevic

INSIDE TRACK | 21

RUNNING FOR ALL

20 | INSIDE TRACK

THERE IS NOTHING quite like the sight of hundreds of runners moving like a tide around a marathon, half marathon or fun run course. The human challenge, shared experience, the colour, costumes and community make mass participation road races unforgettable experiences for elite athlete and fun runner alike. At their best, they are safe and well managed, they recognise the different reasons runners have for participating and they leave a positive legacy for the communities that host them.

However, managing a huge crowd of runners of different fitness levels over an extended course in a variety of weather conditions will always carry risks. At an individual level too, a runner’s experience can vary widely between well- and poorly-organised events. They may have spent weeks preparing only to arrive and find there is only one bathroom facility and a queue longer than the race distance itself. The “road” turns out to be a muddy track and, to add insult to injury, when they complete the race they realise that the advertised 10km is actually a 9.8km. What should have been the race of their life ends up being no more than a disappointing training run.

Until now there has been no set of standards to certify whether a race meets the basic standards and the challenge is getting harder as the number of races around Europe increases. To meet this growing need European Athletics has launched “Running for All” a set of safety and quality standards for public road races across the 50 member federations. The standards have been developed with the help of leading running, competition and medical experts, and with the support of the athletics

European Athletics launches Running for All to set new standards for road races

Leading from the front

federations of all European countries.European Athletics will promote and

administer the standards system at european-running4all.org with its own recognisable brand, to create a welcoming, inclusive and informative community for runners and organisers alike. Launching Running for All, President Svein Arne Hansen explained why they were needed.

“With the number of people taking part in organised running activities growing rapidly, we see the need for a system to assess and publicise the quality of mass participation races,” he said.

“Every runner has their own reason for taking part, and their own hopes and expectations for the quality and safety of the public mass participation races they enjoy. Every race organiser wants to show they have the same concerns for quality and safety so they can attract the entrants they need to make the event worthwhile. At present, only limited regulations exist in some European countries, and they are not always universally understood.

“Our aim is to encourage and endorse as many races as possible. And we need to engage with a participant group that is by far the largest in our sport but one that is not always clearly linked to athletics. That’s what we mean by Running for All.”

Running for All will position European Athletics and each Member Federation as an active part of the running movement in Europe supporting runners and race organisers. It will also encourage positive partnerships between everyone involved in running – runners, clubs, organisers, European Athletics, national athletics federations, local authorities, service providers and the media.

Setting the standardsThere are three levels of standards to cover each type and size of race. 1-Star indicates that a race meets a guaranteed minimum requirement for safety and security for a small number of runners. The 3-Star standard guarantees a good level of safety and security and offers a large number of runners services of a satisfactory level of quality. 5-Star races guarantee a comprehensive level of safety and security and high quality services for a race with significant numbers of runners.

We assess races across a total of 54 categories that cover:� Administration and finance� Course� Environmental and social responsibilities� Measurement� Medical� Results� Safety� Services� Timing

Race organisers apply through The Running for All web portal and can use the brand in promotional materials. All races that are listed as being part of European Athletics Running for All are certifiably safe, accurately measured and offer a quality-assured experience for all entrants. That means runners can enter with confidence that the only issue that they need to worry about is their own performance.

Member Federations will promote the system to organisers, clubs and runners and will be involved in the monitoring and approval system, appointing certifiers for the 3-star and 5-star races. The hope is that this will bring closer links to all involved in running within the federation’s country, and additional publicity for the federation and its other initiatives. It should also open up the opportunities for potential partnerships and educational programmes.

For European Athletics, the aim is to be recognised as the natural authority for the

running movement. As the owners of the online platform and monitoring system, we are responsible for the education and support of certifiers, and the liaison point between Member Federations and race organisers.

What they are saying about Running for All“To be confirmed as a quality road race by European Athletics should be a goal for all road race organisers on the continent. Running activities are ever-increasing, and there is a need for a Europe-wide system that ensures runners are able to make well-informed choices when deciding on an event by ensuring its legitimacy and credibility. We are pleased to be an active supporter of Running for All.”Brendan Foster, Founder, Great North Run

“We encourage all AIMS race organisers in Europe to be certified by European

Athletics as a Quality Road Race so that they are recognised across the continent as race organisers that respect safety and quality standards.” Paco Borao, President, Association of International Marathons and Distance Races

“With road running more popular than ever, it is very important that runners can enter races with full confidence that they will be guaranteed a safe and high quality experience. European Athletics Running for All will give athletes across Europe a platform from which they can select events. This will allow them to be the best that they can be and provide race organisers with clear standards of quality for their events to meet.”Sebastian Coe

More informationWebsite: european-running4all.orgContact: [email protected]

“To be confirmed as a quality road race by European Athletics should be a goal for all

road race organisers on the continent.”Brendan Foster, Founder, Great North Run

The Copenhagen half marathon was

one of the first road

races certified by

European Athletics


VIEWERS OF ATHLETICS live or on television are in many ways seeing just the tip of the iceberg. Behind every successful athlete is a coach and a club; every meet relies on an army of volunteers and officials; and every participating country depends on a national structure which takes important decisions affecting every level of the sport. To ensure the strength and health of athletics, it is vital that women are represented throughout its organisation and that the interests of female athletes are effectively promoted from top to bottom. As part of its strategy actively to foster greater representation of women in its sport, European Athletics has invited its 50 Member Federations to name national winners of the fourth edition of its biennial Women’s Leadership Awards.

Athletics in Europe starts from a position of strength but it is not content to stand still as Vice President Jean Gracia confirms. “At the level of our participants, athletics is arguably the sport with the best gender balance across Europe, which helps us to appeal to a wide audience,” he said.

“To build on this advantage and consolidate the overall strength of the sport, it is important for us to increase the number of women in leadership positions such as coaches, officials, club leaders and federation office holders.”

Announcing the 2015 Women’s

Leadership Awards

WOMEN’S LEADERS

Each Federation is being encouraged to select a winner and recognise accomplishments that make a significant contribution to athletics and serve as an example of leadership in the sport. Alongside the awards, three young women identified as future leaders will receive scholarships to attend a specially designed development programme.

Speaking at the launch of the 2015 edition of the Women’s Leadership Awards, President Svein Arne Hansen said: “These awards and the scholarships are the centrepieces of our strategy to promote the women leaders we need in athletics. We hope that they will raise awareness about the good work women are doing and promote the winners as role models in the sport.”

Newly-appointed President Hansen has made increasing female representation a priority for the organisation by increasing the number of women appointed to European Athletics’ commissions.

Jean Gracia, who is also an executive board member of European Athletics, said that this decision marks a continuation of the direction the organisation has been following for a while saying: “European Athletics and the Member Federations took very important symbolic and practical steps in this direction in order to promote gender equity and women leaders in our sport. We held

the first-ever European Athletics Women in Athletics Forum organised on the sidelines of the European Athletics Convention in Baku and pursued our work with the third annual Women in World Athletics (WIWA) seminar hosted in collaboration with UK Athletics.

“We will now assist the federations by recognising outstanding women leaders with the European Athletics Women’s Leadership Award, the European Athletics Future Women Leaders Scholarship programme and frequent educational measures for women who have been identified by their Member Federations as having the potential for high positions.”

Following in illustrious footstepsThe biennial Women’s Leadership Awards was created in 2009 and has celebrated a wide variety of women in athletics. Whether it is coaching young athletes, officiating, setting up or managing clubs, winners’ achievements are as varied as the individuals themselves.

In 2013, 26 women were put forward for an award by their federation with the main criterion being “a significant contribution that serves as an example of leadership and other values of the sport of athletics”.

Among the winners last time, Valerie Farrugia from Malta came to athletics only when she saw her son compete at a school sports day. “When I saw that my son was talented, I decided to help him improve by attending courses and reading about athletics,” Valerie recalls. “Eventually, I started coaching him and then other kids.”

An initial officiating course led to her opportunities abroad and eventually to a position on the Council of the Malta Amateur Athletic Association. She was at times the only woman present on the Council but, having blazed a trail, Valerie is now hopeful that many more women will get involved in athletics in her country.

Ireland’s Bernie Kellie was also recognised in 2013 for more than two decades of dedication and organisational work to help others enjoy running. She has been a volunteer on her running club’s various activities for many years. Yet it is the past six years, during which she has been a coordinator for Athletics Ireland’s Fit4Life programme in her region, that Bernie has made her biggest impact.

She coordinates and manages the activity and also takes out beginners every night turning unfit, unhealthy people into energetic runners. The Women’s Leadership Award is fitting as many of the runners that

she has led have been women, and Bernie has ensured the best possible environment for them to flourish..

A former athlete recognised in 2013 is Slovenia’s Brigita Langerholc Zager. Brigita turned to coaching after the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and became President of the Athletes’ Commission at the Slovenian Olympic Committee at the same time. She is a passionate coach but has also conducted work for the NOC on post-career athlete opportunities.

More recently she has been instrumental in a move to provide for more female Slovenian coaches to travel with their athletes and the national team to major competitions. She remains extremely ambitious for herself and her sport aiming to be ‘the best female athletics coach in Europe.’

When the award winners are announced in the autumn, the list will no doubt include many more inspirational women who are changing the face of athletics in Europe. As well as a certificate, each winner will receive an artist-signed copy of an original piece of artwork from the winner of a special competition with artists from across Europe.

To nominate or enter the awards see details on the European Athletics website.

There is a lot more to athletics than success on the track or in the field and European Athletics is recognising work that goes on behind

the scenes by launching the 4th Women’s Leadership Awards.

Above: Slovenia’s

Brigita Langerholc

Zager,

Top: Malta’s Valerie

Farrugia

Above: Bernie Kelly

from Ireland holding

her award

YOUNG LEADERS YOUNG LEADERS


CONGRATULATIONS TO THREE members of European Athletics’ Young Leaders Community (EAYLC) who have been elected to the board of the Youth arm of the European Non-Governmental Sport Organisation, known as ENGSO Youth. Romain Fermon (FRA), Mariann Bardocz-Bencsik (HUN) and Xicu Colomar (ESP) will ensure the voice of young athletes is heard at the organisation whose board they will sit on for the next two years.

ENGSO Youth focuses on all aspects of European youth sport including health, sport accessibility, human rights, social inclusion, volunteering, the fight against doping, fair play and participation. It works with its member organisations, European institutions and partners from civil society in 40 countries in Europe. The organisation is non-profit and receives funding from the European Commission for its work in preventing sexual violence, anti-doping and health.

It provides support, advice, guidance for members and works in partnership with the European Union, the Council of Europe and other European authorities. The organisation starts from the belief that physical activity is not just a public health issue; it benefits society as a whole.

Whilst on the board of ENGSO Youth the three Young Leaders will work to strengthen the link between youth and sport and develop projects tackling the needs of young people across Europe especially those with fewer opportunities.

Young Leaders to lead in Europe

Politics and sport does mixAll three of the Young Leaders have been involved in the political side of sport for several years. Xicu Colomar’s interest was sparked during an internship at UNESCO’s Sport Department in 2012 where he saw for himself how the influence of young people could make a real difference to policies and initiatives.

Mariann Bardocz-Bencsik studied Sport for Development at university then did an internship at the Monaco-based Peace and Sport organisation. During this time she had the chance to attend the European Youth and Sport Forum organised by ENGSO Youth and has been part of the organisation ever since.

Romain Fermon, who will be Vice-Chair of ENGSO Youth’s Board, has been active with the organisation for several years.

“The adventure with ENGSO Youth started in 2011 at the European Youth Center in Budapest, where I participated for the first time to a working group on the topic of inclusion for people with an impairment.”

Romain has been an EAYLC member since 2012 and studies public policy and sports management at university in Paris. Talking of his new role Romain says he is: “responsible to represent the organisation in the different meetings, projects and conferencse. As a Vice-Chair my role is to carry the voice and follow the strategy of the ENGSO Youth committee.

“Within ENGSO Youth, I’m also representing the National Olympic Committee of France. It means that my objective is to develop and implement the ENGSO Youth activities at my National Level and innovatively come up with the ways to collaborate with the French system of youth and sport.”

Xicu has been a highly active member of EAYLC since 2010 and is a powerful advocate for the organisation as leader of the Future Group. ENGSO Youth is a natural extension to his numerous projects which include helping to create a Youth Committee within the Spanish Athletic Federation, working at the 2014 European Athletics-UNESCO Young Leaders Forum in Zurich and leading the anti-doping education programme at the forthcoming European Athletics U23 Championships in Tallinn (see p14).

He admits to being influenced and motivated by working with like-minded young people.

“The fact that there were other 10 people like me in Lisbon at the ENGSO Youth General Assembly, full of valuable experience and enthusiasm in different fields, motivated me even more to be part of this team,” he says. “I had to take advantage of that opportunity to the fullest.”

“I strongly believe sport and education are the two pillars of a healthy society. In this framework, I have the will to keep developing both on a political level by contributing as much as I can to the improvement of our community. Sometimes people misunderstand the word ‘politics’. From my perspective, politics consists of making the right choice on a daily basis and leading others by putting yourself as an example. At the end of the day, there are people behind the “politicians” and what people say and do is what really can drive change.”

Having been around ENGSO Youth for a while, Mariann knows what her role will be. “My task is to get more youngsters to join us, especially from those

countries which haven’t been active in ENGSO Youth before. As I’m very keen on exploring the capacities sport has as a means of social inclusion, peace operations and international development, my other main task is to keep an eye on project possibilities in this topic.”

Future leadersAll three of these Young Leaders see involvement with EAYLC and ENGSO Youth as stepping stones to their future careers. Mariann declared that she would like to be a sport diplomat at age 14. Since then, she says: “I got involved in sport in various ways, and one of them is representing sport-related organisations on the international level. “I don’t know whether the title “diplomat” will ever appear on my business card, but I keep working, so that I could consider myself being not that far away from my childhood statement.”

Although Romain insists he has no firm plan, sport and politics definitely attracts him. “It’s true that to work in the field of youth and sports in politics at the European or international level is something that I’m considering. My plan for the moment is to continue to volunteer and carry out my commitment to ENGSO Youth and in general for young people concentrated around the area of sport in Europe. I do enjoy developing diverse interests and skills and meeting professionals in my future work environment.

Having had the chance to get involved themselves, all three are keen that other young people should join them. As Xicu says: “I would like to see ENGSO Youth strengthen links with other international organisations like European Athletics and reaching more members who are not active at the moment.”

Certainly Romain, Mariann and Xicu are an inspiration and a challenge to others to become more actively engaged in leadership. It will be extremely interesting to follow their progress in the coming years.

“The adventure with ENGSO Youth started in 2011 at the European Youth Center in Budapest, where I participated

for the first time to a working group on the topic of inclusion for people with an impairment.”

Romain Fermon

Xicu ColomarRomain FermonMariann Bardocz-Bencsik

Three European Athletics’ Young Leaders have been elected to the board of Europe’s leading youth-sport body.

CONGRESS NEWS

DEAR DELEGATES It will be my last report and as you know my term as President of European Athletics will be ending with today’s Congress. I will be released as of tomorrow morning from the responsibility to reflect day-by-day how we can save and increase the values and awareness of our sport, which priorities and what will be the best for our movement. For the President and the Council such reflections are of highest importance to be successful in handling the multiple and highly complex requirements. We cannot stay in isolation, we have to cooperate with different stakeholders and listen to their requests. Influences from outside our sport are as important as the inside view. First priority is the habits, expectations and the changing behaviour of society.

By respecting these aspects my report reflects more on experiences to show how important the consideration of adaptations is. An association such as ours must be permanently in a procedure of adaptation if the movement wants to be successful and respected. 16 years ago our association was primarily based on volunteer work by the Council members and two Committees. To fulfil the future

As he handed over the baton to Svein Arne Hansen, outgoing President Hansjörg Wirz had a final message to delegates at the European Athletics Congress

requirements it was conditional that the volunteer organisation was replaced by a professional operation with all the consequences of a modernised governance structure. The implementation of the new system was successful by respecting the strategic, political and operational level. Today we are in an advanced position and we have a strong centralised operation at the Head Office in Lausanne.

Athletics is known and recognised as a high performance sport and seen as the number 1 sport of the Olympic Games. This part has to stay as a showcase also in the future but we know that athletics is much more. The contribution that is offered to the society in the field of youth, health, well-being and recreation is unique compared to other sports. For that reason the two-pillar strategy was implemented and the first positive reactions are coming through. The now-available quality and safety standards for road running will be another important tool to strengthen the strategy and awareness in this field.

In the time I have been President there has been an important change in the area of television. Not all of these changes have a positive impact looking at the worldwide economic crises and the influence of the large extent of TV channels. Despite this demanding period during my Presidency, the contractual arrangements for television rights income with EBU could be more than doubled, which is an outstanding achievement and shows the value of athletics and the confidence in our sport. The Council and the Congress have agreed that European Athletics has to create a reserve which should secure close to 2 years operation ... This target is respected and the new four-year

Parting words


Financial Planning is nearly balanced which means the requested reserve is guaranteed for the future and no additional reserves will be created.

Our competition programme has been permanently adapted and innovations have been implemented such as the European Athletics Team Championships and European Athletics Championships every 2nd year. Further steps are needed concerning the European Athletics Championships format, the qualification system and the qualification competitions. Reflection and ideas are available for further consideration to increase the awareness and the promotion of the European Athletics Championships.

A project was developed and published recently to organise several individual European championships together under the responsibility of each sport at the same period of the year and in a coordinated manner. The idea was strongly supported by EBU. A solution has been found for 2018 with the European Athletics Championships in Berlin and the four other sports, swimming, cycling, triathlon and rowing, with their championships in Glasgow. The coordinated TV programming will guarantee that athletics will be shown at prime time. The championships and the rights are controlled by each sport. An additional supporting brand will connect the individual championships as part of the European Sports Championships. It is strongly expected that the awareness and audience figures on TV |will be at a much higher level.

Most of those projects, strategies and procedures needed several years, sometimes more than a Council term for

the implementation. We are respecting the influences from outside by considering the future. By all the different activities we kept our promises and therefore we reached an excellent level of confidence and high respect from our partners.

Therefore we are proud to say that actually European Athletics is in a healthy and solid situation to face the future. I strongly believe that athletics has the great potential to become one of the key sports by implementing fully the 2nd pillar strategy and will have a bright future. The condition is that all of us contribute to the defined goals and strategies. We intend to bring the high performance part, as our showcase, together with “Athletics for All” concerning youth, health and wellbeing as a service towards the public to get more recognition and awareness for our sport.

The engagement and the renewal procedure is a permanent task as well as the obligation to identify with which priority and how the value of athletics can be increased. These statements underline how important the task of the Member Federations is by electing the future Council. You decide about the future of European Athletics.

Finally I would like to thank you for your support during my time as President of European Athletics. Without your help and your understanding we would not have reached the highly recognised level we have today. I wish you all the best and an enjoyable time with Athletics. Our slogan “Your Sport for Life” will keep us always together.

Thank you very much.Hansjörg WirzApril 2015

“we are proud to say that European Athletics is in a healthy and solid

situation to face the future”Hansjörg Wirz

28 | INSIDE TRACK

PRESIDENTIAL NEWS

SVEIN ARNE HANSEN campaigned for the Presidency of European Athletics promising change and teamwork, so it is no surprise that he has used his first 100 days in office gathering around him the people that will make that change happen. From Slovenia to Switzerland, Russia, Belgium, Czech Republic, Norway, Iceland, Cheboksary, Portugal and back to Norway, it has been a punishing schedule. But more important for President Hansen has been using his mandate to drive through the changes he was elected to implement. It has been a breathless three months and change is certainly afoot for the entire European Athletics Organisation.

Svein Arne Hansen has chalked up thousands of air miles and many hours of meetings in his first three months as European Athletics President

President Hansen’s first 100 days

1

2 3

4 5

1: With IAAF President Lamine Diack

2: With Council member Libor Varhanik

at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting

3: Enjoying Team Championships with

Russia’s Minister for Sport Vitaly Mutko

4: Taking a selfie with Olympic champion

Tatyana Lebedeva in Cheboksary

5: With Mihail Ignatiev, President of the

Chuvash Republic

one direction - european athletics · 2015-09-10 · anti-doping education: european athletics...

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