The Association of European Olympic Committees (EOC) has announced that the European Athletics Team Championships have been added to the program of the Krakow-Małopolska 2023 European Games.
As part of the agreement between the EOC and the European Athletics Federation, all divisions of the European Team Championship will be played one after another at the Śląski Stadium in Chorzów.
− We have been in talks with the Association of European Olympic Committees for a long time on the inclusion of the Europea Athletics Team Championships as a key element of the program of the European Games 2023 − said Dobromir Karamarinov, President of the European Athletics Federation. − By approving the inclusion of all leagues of the European Team Championship to the program of the Games by the European Athletics Council and thanks to the agreement with the Association of European Olympic Committees and the local authorities of Śląsk Region, we can continue the detailed planning of the championship format and assigning them specific dates during the European Games, i.e. between June 21 and July 2, 2023. I would like to thank the President of the Association of European Olympic Committees, Mr. Spyros Capralos, for the positive discussions between our two organizations that led to this agreement − added Karamarinov.
Athletics appeared in various formats at the first two editions of the European Games. Six hundred athletes took part in the Baku Games in 2015, doubling the number of the Third League European Team Championship. During the Games in Minsk in 2019, an innovative team competition concept was introduced under the name Dynamic New Athletics.
− We have been working closely with the European Athletics Federation since 2015 to make sure we have the best competitions under the European Games program − said Spyros Capralos, President of the EOC. − Thanks to this cooperation, we have found a solution for 2023 with the Team Championship and we are sure that athletics in Poland will be one of the most popular disciplines during this event – he added.
− The inclusion of the European Team Championship in the program of the European Games 2023 is a win-win situation for European athletics and EOC. We will organize a team athletics competition at the highest level, with a fight for promotion and relegation between divisions, ensuring a truly exciting athletics event for both television and viewers − noted Christian Milz, General Director of the European Athletics Federation.
− The re-addition of athletics to the European Games program is great news. The competition of athletes in Europe will not only be a great event of the Games, but will also be appreciated by die-hard fans of athletics in Poland − said Hasan Arat, Chairman of the Coordination Committee for the 3rd European Games 2023.
− I am happy and honored to announce that Śląsk will host athletics at the Śląski Stadium during the European Games in 2023. I know that Polish fans are waiting impatiently to see top-class athletes in action − added Jakub Chełstowski, Marshal of the Śląsk Voivodeship.
Other sports already present in the program of the European Games 2023 are: 3 × 3 basketball, archery, badminton, beach handball, beach soccer, boxing, breaking, canoeing, cycling, fencing, judo, karate, modern pentathlon, muaythai, kick boxing, padel , shooting, ski jumping, sport climbing, table tennis, taekwondo, teqball and triathlon.
