Rieti 2026 is ready to begin. The Raul Guidobaldi Stadium will host the European Athletics U18 Championships, bringing together 1,104 athletes from 48 countries, including 75 Italians aiming to compete for medals in front of their home crowd. The official press conference opened the event ahead of four days of competition, from Thursday morning to Sunday.
The message from European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov was clear: "I want to tell all the athletes one thing: don't focus only on performance. These championships are also about making friends and creating memories that will stay with you for life. We were supposed to be here in 2020, but the pandemic forced us to postpone the event. Rieti is a city of athletics and Italy is a great athletics nation. We still remember the success of Roma 2024 and the European 10,000m Cup in La Spezia. Here we will see the future of our sport".
FIDAL President Stefano Mei encouraged the young athletes to enjoy the experience. "You have a wonderful opportunity. Over the next four days you will gain something that will stay with you throughout your careers. Rieti is the city of athletics and I cannot fail to remember Andrea Milardi and his family, who continue this extraordinary project. I was once a young athlete like you. At this age you should run, jump and throw with a smile. Don't think only about results—enjoy competing".
Italian sprinter Kelly Doualla, European U20 100m champion, is looking forward to racing in front of the home crowd. "It is an incredible honour to be here. Competing in Italy means feeling at home and the crowd will give us an extra boost. I want to enjoy the experience and I'm sure the spectators will enjoy it too. Competing at the World Indoor Championships helped me grow a lot, and being welcomed into the senior national team was a fantastic experience. Meeting Olympic champion Julien Alfred was something very special".
European U18 100m hurdles record holder Alessia Succo is equally relaxed. "I feel at home and I'm not nervous. I hope to make the people supporting me proud, but above all I want to enjoy myself. Racing at the Diamond League Golden Gala in Rome was unforgettable. Standing alongside athletes I had only seen on television was a great emotion, and the more experienced athletes helped me deal with the pressure. If I had to choose between a medal in Rieti and ice cream for the rest of my life, I would choose a medal. Opportunities like this don't come often".
Shot putter Antony Del Pioluogo, who enters the competition with the second-best mark in the field (20.72m), has a clear goal. "I'd rather win a medal than a record. Records can come at any competition, but a European Championships is something special. I want to compete without pressure. The work has already been done in training".
Slovenian 800m runner Ziva Remic knows the weather will be a factor. "We'll have to see how the body reacts to the heat because there are three rounds. I want to enjoy the experience and give my best. The most important thing is to enjoy the sport. I train hard, but it's also important to live the moment. The support of the crowd is wonderful."
British triple jumper Tito Odunaike is approaching the championships calmly. "I don't feel any pressure. I just want to perform well and do my best. My goal is to improve my personal best. If that also means setting a new record, even better".
Rieti is ready to welcome Europe. The Raul Guidobaldi Stadium, the Fan Village and the city centre, where the Parade of Nations will take place, are all set for four days of athletics. Mayor Daniele Sinibaldi welcomed the participants. "Welcome to our city. Thank you to the athletes, volunteers, organising committee and institutions. Rieti has invested in athletics for many years and continues to do so. Great champions have competed in this stadium, which is an important part of athletics history. Today we welcome you to a renovated venue and we are proud to host these championships."
Local Organising Committee President Riccardo Guerci concluded: "We hope to deliver a great European Championships. Despite the heat, we are doing everything possible to deal with every challenge. More than one hundred people are working on this event. I thank FIDAL, the Municipality of Rieti, European Athletics and President Karamarinov for their trust. I wish all the athletes the very best. Give everything you have—we will do the same."