Excitement and pride filled the air in the Spanish capital on Thursday (26) as the official press conference for the European Athletics Team Championships 1st Division in Madrid.
With the city’s iconic venue the Estadio Vallehermoso, ready and nearly 700 athletes are primed for action, dignitaries and organisers gathered to mark the opening of Europe’s premier athletics event this summer.
Leading the event was European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov, who praised Madrid as the latest milestone in what has already been a landmark year for the sport on the continent.
“It has been an amazing start for European Athletics in 2025. After the huge success of the Apeldoorn European Athletics Indoor Championships and the first edition of the European Running Championships in Brussels-Leuven, now we are here in Madrid,” Karamarinov said.
“We are here for the European Athletics Team Championship, the best sixteen teams in Europe are here, nearly 700 athletes are ready to compete next days on the unique green CONICA track.”
He urged fans not to miss the chance to witness elite competition firsthand: “If there's still some tickets left, I want to encourage the people who love athletics to come to support not only the strong Spanish teams, but all the athletes, because they are here to compete, not only as individuals, they are part of their teams.
“There are fifteen European champions from Rome, three Olympic champions that will decorate this amazing championship. It's always good to be part of something bigger than you, to defend your national vest. To compete as a team is something special.”
A global sporting hub
Sonia Cea, City Council Sports Delegate, welcomed the delegations with warmth and confidence, proudly declaring Madrid as a beacon of global sport.
“I want to say welcome to everybody to the worldwide capital of sports, Madrid. It is a big honour for me and for our city to host this event.”
Echoing her words, Luis Fernando Martín Izquierdo, Deputy Regional Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport of the Community of Madrid, highlighted the region's infrastructure and deep-rooted sporting culture.
“It is no coincidence that the European Athletics Team Championships take place here, this event reflects the strong position of Madrid in the sport world,” he said.
“We have a solid base of around 600,000 sport alliances and over 2400 elite athletes… venues like the Estadio Vallehermoso, which will host most of the competitions.” He also noted the wider economic and social benefits of sport in the region.
“In 2024 alone, around 50 global sport competitions took place in our region. Beyond the sporting importance, we are also happy about the positive impact of events like this one. They promote values such as teamwork and effort and encourage people to be more active.”
“In Madrid, we estimate the impact of sport to be over €550 million a year, representing 3% of our regional GDP, more than €8.7 billion per year,” he said.
A warm welcome from Spain
Rounding off the official remarks, Aitor Canibe, Acting General Director at the Spanish Ministry of Sport, extended heartfelt greetings to the international visitors.
“Welcome to Spain, welcome to Madrid. It is an amazing city. The region of Madrid is an amazing region, and you have to enjoy these days… not only sport, but also culture and, of course, people from Madrid. It's an open city for everyone.”
“I'm sure that you will keep amazing memories for the future. So please enjoy in these next few days, because we will try to make our best to achieve your best tournament in the world.”