The European Team Championships Second League in Belgrade this weekend is part of an exciting new era in athletics. European Athletics has created an event that revamps traditional track and field regulations, has men and women compete as one team, has promotion and relegation battles between the four new leagues, and a European “league table” that ranks teams from Nos. 1 to 50.
The sheer unpredictability of a team performance, generation of national pride as countries do battle against their rivals, and the “make-or-break” drama that unfurls because of the revamped regulations is sure to have everyone on the edge of their seats and make for compelling viewing throughout the weekend in Serbia.
The European Team Championships is our answer to the question we faced with its predecessor, the European Cup: “how could we make the competition more attractive?”
I am certain the forward-thinking changes European Athletics has introduced make athletics even more exciting and dramatic for spectators in the stadium and TV viewers without affecting the purity of our sport. And with this, we are showing once again our leadership in adapting our sport to make sure it keeps its appeal for spectators, TV viewers, media and athletes now and in the future.
The competition format of the European Team Championships places emphasis on team points instead of individual results, with a nation’s score calculated by a combination of men’s and women’s points. At the end of the competition, teams are given a European ranking from Nos. 1 to 50 – the first of its kind.
In the augural European Team Championships last year, Germany were crowned “European Team Champions,” while Serbia finished in 24th position overall after unfortunately finishing in last place in the 12-team First League contested in Bergen, Norway – the venue for this year’s top league. Budapest in Hungary, meanwhile, hosts the First League this weekend, while Marsa in Malta is the venue for the Third League.
It is the promotion and relegation in all four leagues – two teams are relegated and promoted between the First, Second and Third Leagues (the bottom three teams in the 12-team SPAR Super League are replaced by the top three teams from the First League each year) – that heightens the tension.
The overall reaction after the first edition in 2009 was extremely positive, albeit with objections to some of the regulation changes. As I promised at the time, we entered into a consultancy phase after the event in order to improve the championships for 2010. We received feedback from all our stakeholders including TV, media, athletes, officials and spectators and have taken into account their views in fine-tuning the regulations.
One change we have made is that the elimination lap in the 3000m, 5000m and 3000m steeplechase has been cancelled and the regulation deleted.
Other innovations remain, though. If you make one false start you are out – indeed, what was a European Athletics’ innovation in the inaugural championships in 2009 is now mandatory according to new IAAF rules.
In the field events it still comes down to the final throw or jump. A maximum of four aggregated fouls throughout the whole event will continue to be allowed in the High Jump and Pole Vault, but the winner will be allowed to continue. And in all other Field Events each athlete is to be allowed a minimum three trials (12+12+12+4) compared to two in the past.
Heat distribution in sprint events, meanwhile, will attempt to ensure the best athletes are in the same heat.
I’m sure these adjustments will make for a fantastic second edition of the European Team Championships Second League in Belgrade this weekend. I wish the best to our Serbian host team, as well as Austria, Croatia, Israel, Latvia, Moldova, Slovakia and Switzerland.
Hansjörg Wirz
European Athletics President
