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| European Athletics President Hansjörg Wirz is sure that Helsinki 2012 and future Olympic-year European Athletics Championships will be a success. |
With two weeks to go until Helsinki 2012, President Hansjörg Wirz has outlined the reasons why he believes Olympic-year European Athletics Championships will become a key part of the international athletics and sporting calendar.
Writing in the upcoming edition of the Inside Track newsletter published next week, President Wirz explained that European Athletics has been working hard to strengthen the positioning of Helsinki 2012 and future Olympic-year European Athletics Championships ahead of the 27 June to 1 July event in the Finnish capital.
“A biennial European Athletics Championships will provide athletes with a more regular stage on which to become top-level champions,” writes President Wirz. “Indeed, we must ask the question: how many European medals are really ‘secure’ for London 2012?
“Many athletes need this high level of competition ahead of London 2012 and future Olympics. A more regular top-level event improves athletes’ performances, whether it’s a physical effect such as how the championships fit into training and competitive programmes or a mental impact by giving an athlete more motivation or an additional focal point. An aspiring Olympic medallist must be extremely strong mentally to choose not to compete and then see their rivals being successful at Helsinki 2012.
“The Olympic-year European Athletics Championships will ensure that athletes on the continent will compete more often in a flagship event during the peak of their careers. About 1,350 European athletes have competed at recent editions of the European Athletics Championships, whereas we have 500-600 fewer athletes compete at an Olympics or World Championships.
“The European Athletics Championships offers a chance for a bigger number of athletes (1,350 in Barcelona) in comparison with a full season of 39 one-day meetings in Europe (in 2011 only 289 European athletes -- out of the 3,396 athletes – participated in more than three meetings. And only 662 participated in two to three meetings).
“The chance for success for athletes is much higher, and all athletes want to become a Champion – world, Olympic or European. It is obvious that there are 100 percent European medal winners at our continental championships – compared to about 40 percent of European medal winners at the Olympics. The public, television, media, institutions and governments recognise the importance of this success.
“Let’s not forget, though, that many top athletes who have won world and Olympic titles have not won European titles!
“A biennial European Athletics Championships treats fans to more of the best European Athletics has to offer. The two-year format will create more European champions, increase the number of stars in the sport within each country and find new stars more regularly.
“Being a European champion means more than being a winner from a one-day meeting, and keeps European athletes at the forefront of attention during an Olympic year.
“We have had experiences when certain stars have not competed at European Athletics Championships: Yuri Borzakovsky in Göteborg 2006 and Yelena Isinbayeva in Barcelona 2010 did not compete. Ultimately, it didn’t matter. No one in the media spoke about them once the event started. New stars were created in their absence.
“These new stars from Helsinki 2012 may even replace those athletes not competing in Helsinki in the public’s thoughts and affection ahead of the London Games.
“A European Athletics Championships creates champions, inspirational moments, smiling faces, and as soon as the Championships start, any absent athletes will be forgotten.
“As well as creating new stars, for younger athletes an additional European Athletics Championships can act as a vital stepping stone to world and Olympic level.
“An athlete competing at a European Athletics U23 Championships in the past would sometimes be exposed to the Olympic Games and World Championships before having the chance to compete at a European Athletics Championships.
“Helsinki 2012 will not only create new European champions but also promises to be a spectacular curtain raiser for London 2012. It will capitalise on the increased interests in the Championships during an Olympic year. The timing and location of the Olympics will ensure increased television audiences and heightened interest across Europe. It is a proven phenomenon that interest in major sporting events is a boost for events in the build-up.
“The Championships will act as a key milestone in the narrative of athletics in the lead up to the Olympic Games. It’s the biggest athletics event of 2012 ahead of London 2012 with the broadest range of European broadcasters, giving the majority of Europe the chance to watch the Championships live on television or through live streaming.
“Helsinki 2012 will be a barometer for the public judging its athletes’ chances ahead of the Olympics, generating talking points among fans ahead of the Games. It will allow athletes to reach their maximum performance level in the lead up to the Olympics. The U.S. Olympic trials see athletes competing at the highest level six weeks before London 2012 – and just look at the success rate of American athletes at the Olympics. Why wouldn’t this work in Europe?
“I am looking forward to the start of a format that will keep young people more engaged and reinforce public interest more regularly. Thanks to the efforts of the Local Organising Committee under the leadership of President and European Athletics Council member Antti Pihlakoski and General Secretary Esa Honkalehto, innovations to be introduced at Helsinki 2012 include mobile applications, shorter competition programmes and medal ceremonies held in the party atmosphere of the Event Square near the stadium.
“A consequence of the Olympic-year European Athletics Championships is a stronger platform for commercial growth. The two-year format will allow European Athletics’ valued International Partners SPAR, OMEGA, LE GRUYˆRE AOC and EUROVISION to generate increased public awareness of their link with the sport. The success of the IAAF World Championships when it moved onto a two-year cycle starting in 1993 has shown this.
“The new format will also give broadcasters the chance to increase the sports visibility. Broadcast intentions for Helsinki 2012 as of 7 June stood near the 800-hour mark of live and delayed TV coverage, extremely encouraging figures with three weeks to go.
“After Helsinki 2012, a biennial European Athletics Championships means more host cities will be encouraged to bid for the flagship event, and we have some exciting future cities “confirmed as hosts or interested in hosting the championships. After Helsinki will be the Zurich 2014 and then Amsterdam 2016 championships. And Berlin, Paris, Rome have been linked with bids for 2018 – all major cities.
“For now, though, the focus is on Helsinki. I hope you are looking forward to the event as much as I am.”