Federations back two-year cycle as Helsinki named 2012 European Athletics Championships hosts

European Athletics Member Federation Presidents reaffirmed their support for a European Athletics Championships every two years following the unanimous decision Monday to award the 2012 event to Helsinki.

The Finnish capital, which will be the first host of European Athletics' flagship event as it moves to a two-year cycle, was named the 2012 organiser at the 124th European Athletics Council meeting in Barcelona, Spain.

The announcement comes after a near-unanimous decision during the European Athletics Congress in Cannes in 2007 when 47 Member Federations out of 50 accept the integration of a second European Athletics Championships into the four-year competition programme.

Swedish Federation President Lennart Karlberg, Italian Federation President Franco Arese, Spanish Federation President José Marí­a Odriozola and German Federation President Clemens Prokop were some of the Member Federation leaders who quickly sent messages supporting the Council's decision to hand Helsinki the responsibility to organise the 2012 championships and kickstart the two-year cycle.

Sweden's Carolina Kluft celebrates during the 2006 European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg.The first championshipsinthe two-year cycle will be in Helsinki in 2012.

'It is a very positive move. Athletics is a dominant sport in Europe and a European Athletics Championships every two years emphasises this,' said Karlberg on Monday. 'The 2005 World Championships was a great success and Helsinki is very organised in terms of events.'

It will be the third time that Helsinki will host the event after 1971 and 1994. The city also hosted the IAAF World Championships in 1983 and 1995. The championships are scheduled for 27 June to 1 July.

'Having it in the Olympic year won't have that much of a negative effect. Of course, some athletes may have questions the first time but they will adjust in the future editions so they can compete in the European Athletics Championships and the Olympic Games. And of course there is the possibility of using the championships as a qualification for the Olympic Games,' said Karlberg.

Odriozola, an IAAF Council Member, said, 'I was one of the main promoters of this idea and it's essential that the European Championships will be disputed every two years to give more focus on the European athletes.

'The European Championships is a very interesting competition for mass media in general and without any doubt it will mean an impulse for this competition. Our continent needs this window in order to encourage itself and to offer the possibility for its athletes to shine. I'm totally convinced that it will be a complete success because European federations need these competitions every two years,' said Odriozola.

European Athletics Council Member Arese, who was absent from the meeting, said, 'I think this is a step forward in the growth of athletics in Europe. Athletes will take this extra opportunity to compete in the unique atmosphere of a championships - what is commonly considered the best environment for individual technical progress.

'Fans, on the other hand, will be able to assist another great show, with national identity clearly underlined by what we must consider an added value: athletes' national vests,' said Arese.

German Athletics Federation President Prokop said, 'It's perfect to see in the future a European Championships every two years. I'm sure it will be a success for European Athletics and for all Member Federations. We need this platform in Europe so we have more television coverage, and it is also good for marketing our sport.'

Munich hosted the European Athletics Championships in 2002, with Gothenburg taking the reins in 2006. Barcelona will host the 20th edition in 2010 through 26 July to 1 August.