European Athletics Championships

European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships

European Athletics U18 Championships

SPAR European Cross Country Championships

Less than 100 days to go to the biggest sporting event to take place in Munich since the Olympic Games 50 years ago

Championship records tumble on the second day in Jerusalem

Furlani’s double bid starts with a championship record in long jump qualifying

Thøgersen lays down a marker in the 2000m steeplechase heats in Jerusalem

How to follow the Jerusalem 2022 European Athletics U18 Championships

Rising Serbian star Topic poised “to show what I’m capable of” in Jerusalem

Mathys proves masterful in the mountains again with her second title in El Paso

Duplantis delivers in Stockholm with a history-making 6.16m clearance

Kallabis looking to follow in her father’s footsteps with steeplechase gold in Jerusalem

The focus of attention in the women&rsquo;s high jump at the Jerusalem 2022 European Athletics U18 Championships will be on the up-and-coming Serbian star Angelina Topic.
Topic has a captivating backstory with both of her parents winning world and European medals in their careers but the 16-year-old is forging her own path.
In her last competition before the European Athletics U18 Championships, Topic equalled the world U18 best of 1.96m at the Serbian Championships - also an outright national record - but the Serbian is focusing firstly on capturing gold in the Givat Ram Stadium. Any prospective record attempt will come later.
&ldquo;Well, I think I&rsquo;m in great form right now. I think I know what I am capable of and of course I am going to give it my best in the competition. I think it&rsquo;s more important to focus on position than height so one of my biggest goals is to jump 1.90m and show what I&rsquo;m capable of,&rdquo; said Topic to the assorted press.
Compared to the vast majority of competitors, Topic already has a wealth of experience to draw on. She reached the final at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Tallinn last year a few days before her 16th birthday and she even had the chance to compete for Serbia in front of 7000 fans at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade this March.
And while she will &ldquo;probably compete&rdquo; against the senior on an even greater stage at the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships as well, Topic still describes this upcoming competition, which could very possibly yield her first major title, as &ldquo;meaningful.&rdquo;
She said: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s obviously an amazing feeling being here. This competition is very meaningful to me personally and I am happy I have the chance to represent my country. It&rsquo;s really an honour to be here in Israel and stand with my Serbian team.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<img src="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/bbaff570-a013-4e85-9309-d25477dbbb97?width=4927&amp;height=3285" alt="Athletics European Championship U18 Jerusalem 2022 - Press Conference" />
Angelina will be accompanied in Jerusalem by her father and coach Dragutin, the 1990 European champion who scaled 2.37m in his career which spanned six Olympic Games.&nbsp;
But the sporting genes run through both sides of the family. Her mother Biljana won triple jump bronze at the 2009 World Athletics Championships, an event Angelina has also tried out this summer alongside the high jump.
&ldquo;I have competed in triple jump this year and actually I&rsquo;m really hoping to compete a bit more in the triple jump as well as in high jump. But for now I think the high jump is representing my future,&rdquo; said Topic.&nbsp;
One of the brightest Israeli prospects at the championships is pole vaulter Sivan Frumer who has improved her lifetime best to 3.90m this season.
<img src="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/b51df916-a03f-46e8-beb2-ae1ca9bee873?width=5568&amp;height=3712" alt="Athletics European Championship U18 Jerusalem 2022 - Press Conference" />
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really exciting to be here. It&rsquo;s a big mission for me to represent Israel. I&rsquo;ve trained hard for the event and it&rsquo;s exciting because this is the first time a major event has been held in Israel.
&ldquo;I would really like to jump the best I can and give everything to the event. I hope to reach the final and vault as high as I possibly can,&rdquo; she said.
Arguably Israel&rsquo;s greatest athlete in history is Alexander Averbukh, the 2002 and 2006 European pole vault champion, and Frumer hopes that his impact could inspire her to another chapter in the history of Israeli athletics.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I appreciate his professionalism; I look up to him and he is an inspiration to me. Yes, I&rsquo;ve met him on quite a few occasions and you could maybe say we are also friends,&rdquo; she said.
The European Athletics U18 Championships will be streamed live through the European Athletics website from 8.05am local time (GMT+3) on Monday (4) morning.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Jolanda Kallabis has been breaking all sorts of domestic records in recent years and now the up-and-coming German runner, who hails from Freiburg, is looking to make an impact internationally at the Jerusalem 2022 European Athletics U18 Championships from 4-7 July.
While most competitors will be new to this level of competition, Kallabis has some international experience to draw upon. At 16, Kallabis donned the German vest in the 1500m at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Tallinn last summer where she acquitted herself well, missing out on a place in the final by just one position.
But while Kallabis went to Tallinn mainly for the learning experience, the German will be heading to Jerusalem with clear ambitions: to win a medal.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;The European U18 Championships were canceled last year. That's why I competed in the European U20 Championship. Since the competitors were three years older, I was eliminated in the 1500m heats. I want to go to the final this year. Internationally I'm well-placed, I want a medal,&rdquo; stated Kallabis.
Kallabis is ranked first in Europe at U18 level in the 1500m by more than three seconds with her recently set lifetime best of 4:14.08 but she will be focusing solely on her primary event - the 2000m steeplechase - in Jerusalem next week.&nbsp;
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Kallabis leads both the European and world U18 list in that event with 6:23.82 and if she was to prevail, she would emulate her father Damian who won the 3000m steeplechase title at the European Athletics Championships in 1998.
Kallabis combines her high school studies with five hours of running each week along with yoga sessions and strength and conditions training in the gym. Alongside her hard work, Kallabis also credits her sporting genes for her success on the track.
"We always ask ourselves that too. Somehow it's also because of my parents. They were both good runners. My father Damian was even a European champion. I grew up on the sports track, I've been doing athletics all my life. My mother Nina is my trainer, she knows me well, that fits perfectly," said Kallabis.
Kallabis&rsquo; range of talents is considerable. Not only does she lead the U18 list in the 1500m and 2000m steeplechase, she is even ranked fifth in the 400m hurdles and could have plausibly challenged for a medal in Jerusalem in that event.
But it was over 800 metres this winter where Kallabis made the domestic headlines. Three weeks before her 17th birthday, Kallabis smashed one of the longest standing and seemingly untouchable German records, clocking 2:04.57 to break the German indoor U18 record which had stood to East Germany&rsquo;s Hildegard Ullrich since 1976.
A few weeks later, Kallabis would go on to win the German indoor U20 title in the event, beating athletes up to three years her senior.
"In Erfurt I broke an indoor record in the 800m that was 46 years old. Then I became the German U20 champion in the 800m. The two are the strongest for me," said Kallabis on her proudest sporting achievements so far.
But even greater moments could follow in the days to come in the 2000m steeplechase in Jerusalem.&nbsp;
All four days of the European Athletics U18 Championships in Jerusalem will be streamed live through the European Athletics website from 4-7 July.

The name &lsquo;Hahner&rsquo; initially makes you think of two strong marathon runners who competed for Germany at the 2016 Olympic Games.&nbsp;
However, when doing so you overlook the fact the twin sisters Anna and Lisa have quite a successful past in cross country running. And that the present and future for one of them is out there on trails.&nbsp;
Anna Hahner, who has a lifetime best of 2:26:44 in the marathon, will be one of the most familiar names in action at the European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships in El Paso on the Canary Islands from 1-3 July when she will contest the trail race over a distance of 47 kilometres.
&ldquo;The reason I&rsquo;ve dedicated myself more and more to trails has a lot to do with the fact I&rsquo;m still enthusiastic about running, but my ambition for street racing isn&rsquo;t what it used to be. If you want to run with the best, you need ultimate commitment and must be able to push yourself to the limit in training,&rdquo; said Hahner.&nbsp;
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When her equipment provider approached her and asked whether she&rsquo;d like to be part of the &ldquo;Everesting&rdquo; attempt by her fellow German Janosch Kowalczyk as a guest runner, the 32-year-old top athlete happily agreed.&nbsp;
She accompanied him part of the way on his endeavour to run 8,848 meters in altitude in one single day. &ldquo;I was overwhelmed and elated,&rdquo; says Hahner. &ldquo;It felt so right to run up and down through nature, although I didn&rsquo;t even intend to get into trail running.&rdquo;&nbsp;
That was pretty much exactly one year ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;
One thing led to another as the equipment company also has a line of running shoes for this terrain. Hahner, who is a successful and experienced street runner and coach of others, found herself in the role of student and has been taken under the wing of Marcel H&ouml;che who has introduced her to the peculiarities and specifics of trail running.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Luckily, I didn&rsquo;t find it difficult to use a different type of running technique, and most of the transition was straightforward,&rdquo; says Hahner. &ldquo;Somehow, it was like when I started running, and I entered a new world with my eyes wide open, trained with others and copied them. Marcel showed me how much fun running downhill can be and what it&rsquo;s like to run proactively and basically switch off your brain. Meanwhile, I can trust my body to find the right way down a mountain.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Running downhill is one of her strengths. It gives Hahner confidence to know that she can fly downhill without fear after a climb and be able to keep up with others. This might come as a surprise for someone who was - and will still be - running mainly on flat and technically undemanding surfaces.&nbsp;
What struck the rookie trail runner though, was the equipment that comes with trails. &ldquo;There you are at a race, studying the list of mandatory equipment &ndash; such as running clothes that cover your entire body in case of sudden weather changes &ndash; and you naively ask: &lsquo;We don&rsquo;t need to carry this with us today, do we?&rsquo; And the answer is: &lsquo;Ummh, yes you do!&rsquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Moreover, the food and drink situation is different to city marathons, where you usually have a drink station every five kilometers. On trails, there might be a station marked at kilometer 11, but in reality it could be at 10.5 or 11.8 or 13 kilometers.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Hahner remembers that she once had to fill up her flasks with water from a stream because she skipped a supply station and had underestimated the distance with all the vertical meters.&nbsp;
That there is competition between her and other athletes is clear: once the starting signal is given, the competitor in her comes out.&nbsp;
And still, trail running is so much more than that. Being at one with nature, managing unpredictable situations that don&rsquo;t exist in street racing, correctly assessing uphill and downhill and your own strengths and limits. &ldquo;How technical, how steep is a section?&rdquo; Hahner asks herself and she knows she will have to make on the spot decisions during the race.&nbsp;
It's something she does well: she won the Chiemgau trail at the beginning of April and the Rennsteig Marathon in mid-May. These performances helped Hahner to gain nomination for El Paso. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m honoured and proud to be able to wear my country&rsquo;s colours," she said. &nbsp;
The German star runner is not only looking forward to the competitions on the Canary Islands, but also the interaction with others with the mass participation element a strong component of these championships.
&ldquo;In street racing, there are defined areas for specific groups while trail runners are one community. We all sit at the same tables, regardless of our times or places because it&rsquo;s not primarily about competing against anyone but overcoming the distance and its difficulties,&rdquo; she said.
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Hahner thinks the European Off-Road Running Championships are a stroke of genius &ldquo;because mountain running and trail running come together, because such an event is not only relevant for the media but also for the running community meeting there.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Where is her personal benchmark in El Paso? &ldquo;My goal is to run happily and with ease, get the best out of my body and accept the result I achieve with grace.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Her focus for this and next year is on trails. &ldquo;That doesn&rsquo;t mean that I won&rsquo;t be running any street races anymore. But I&rsquo;ve learned to listen to my inner voice and it tells me: see what else you can achieve in trail running,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;
The European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships will be streamed live through the European Athletics website in its entirety from 1-3 July.
Egon Theiner for European Athletics

German Olympian Anna Hahner is seeking new challenges on the trails in El Paso

A slew of championship records fell on the second evening session at the Jerusalem 2022 European Athletics U18 Championships in the Givat Ram Stadium on Tuesday (5).
The track session included three successive championship record performances on the track which began with Great Britain&rsquo;s Mia McIntosh winning the 100m hurdles title, one of three gold medals for the Brits on day two.
McIntosh was the fastest in the heats and semifinals and the 17-year-old, who has been testing herself against the seniors this summer, made light work of the U18 76.2 centimetre barriers and her reward was a championship record of 13.05 - only 0.07 shy of the European U18 best held by world indoor champion Cyrena Samba-Mayela from France.
&ldquo;At the start of my semi, I felt very fatigued, but I didn't do too much between the rounds, and did a quick warm up, that was it. I've been racing some seniors this year, and it has been incredible to see what they can do and how they do it. I can't wait to be in the mix of them all,&rdquo; she said.
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After gold for Mia, there was gold for Nia as her near namesake Nia Wedderburn-Goodison won the 100m title in a championship record of 11.33. Wedderburn-Goodison ran even faster in the semifinal but her time of 11.31 was marginally wind-aided.
There was also a rare men&rsquo;s sprinting gold medal for Poland at 16-year-old Marek Zakrzewski emerged into the fray with three exceptional performances - all of which were faster than the previous championship record of 10.43.
After a statement albeit wind-aided 10.29 clocking in the heat, Zakrzewski secured the championship record in wind legal conditions with 10.33 in his semifinal before running even faster in the final, stopping the clock at 10.32 to hold off the mercurial Swede Isak Hughes in the adjacent lane in 10.36.
Furlani amazes with 8.04m long jump
But perhaps the most exceptional performance of the day came from Italy&rsquo;s super talented prospect Mattia Furlani. The 17-year-old has impressed in recent seasons with his high jump prowess but Furlani is making extraordinary - if not unprecedented progress - in the long jump.
In only his third serious outdoor competition in the event - and only his second if you exclude qualifying - Furlani soared over the eight metre-line with his very first attempt with 8.04m to shatter the championship record and become the first European U18 in history to break this barrier outdoors.
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Furlani couldn&rsquo;t quite recapture this magic with his subsequent jumps but nor did he need to. The Italian passed his fifth and sixth round attempts in order to preserve some energy for the high jump final having also qualified for that event this evening.
&ldquo;To be honest, I didn't expect something like this at my first attempt, especially after having gone through the qualification in the high jump just before. The goal here is to give it my all in both events, and whatever happens, I will be pleased with it,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;All I can think right now is that I want to cry, because I am so proud of myself.&rdquo;
In the discus, Ukraine&rsquo;s Mykhailo Brudin had already wrapped up the gold medal before he stepped into the discus circle for the final time.&nbsp;
With his sixth round attempt, Brudin went even further and broke the championship record with 64.51m. The 17-year-old, who has been based in Spain after being displaced by the Russian invasion in February, dedicated his victory to his grandmother Faina Melnik, the 1972 Olympic champion who died in 2016.
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Valentina Savva from Cyprus won the first gold medal of the championships in the hammer with 70.28m.
And the Cypriot success didn&rsquo;t stop there as Emilia Kolokotroni won bronze with 65.35m. There could even be even more medalware to celebrate tomorrow with Iosif Kesidis the outstanding favourite in the men&rsquo;s final.
"I started in athletics in the long jump, but one day a coach saw me and suggested I should try the Hammer instead because of the way I am built. I love it so much, it's part of my life now," said Savva.
Full results <a title="" href="https://jerusalem22results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule-date=2022-07-05.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

The men&rsquo;s long jump qualifying was one of the liveliest and most dramatic events of the evening which was bookended by championship record-breaking performances.
With his first attempt, France&rsquo;s Thomas Martinez booked his place in the final by eclipsing the previous championship record by one centimetre with 7.61m.&nbsp;
But his record was to last a little more than half-an-hour. Mattia Furlani&rsquo;s hopes of winning two gold medals looked in a vulnerable state after the 17-year-old began his campaign with two no jumps but the precocious Italian made no such mistake on his last attempt.&nbsp;
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Competing in just his second ever outdoor long jump competition, Furlani relied on all of his raw talent and athletic ability, improving the championship record for the second time with 7.62m.
Furlani made a stir domestically by recently smashing Andrew Howe&rsquo;s Italian U18 record with 7.87m in his first serious outdoor competition in the discipline. He is primarily a high jumper and has also entered this event in Jerusalem.
&ldquo;I was a little worried at the start, the wind was very strong but I needed to do a jump that made me feel more secure. At the end of the day, I wanted to do a jump that put me in a better position. However, the most important thing was to qualify for the final, and now I need to stay focused so I can bring home the best possible result,&rdquo; said Furlani.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Tomorrow morning, I will be taking part in the high jump qualification, and that should be a good experience. I&rsquo;m already thinking ahead for the future.&rdquo;
Breakthrough performances from Reparaz and Zakrzewski&nbsp;in the 100m heats
Spain&rsquo;s Ainhoa Reparaz was only ranked 17th ahead of the championships based on season&rsquo;s best performances but the 16-year-old put herself in the medal discussion in the 100 metres in a little under 12 seconds.&nbsp;
Reparaz shattered her lifetime best to pieces in the fifth and final heat of the 100m and she even took ownership of the championship record with her 11.53 performance.&nbsp;
I wasn't expecting this at all, no way. I am speechless, but extremely happy about this. I'm not going to change my plans after this - I need to remain calm as ever,&rdquo; she said.
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Great Britain&rsquo;s Lia Weddeburn-Goodison was credited with a faster time in the 100m heats but her 11.48 was accompanied by an illegal following wind of 3.1 m/s. Her compatriot Renee Regis - the daughter of former British internationals John Regis and Jennifer Stoute - also progressed as a heat winner in 11.66.
Another breakthrough performance of the session came in the men&rsquo;s 100m heats courtesy of the 16-year-old Pole Marek Zakrzewski.
Drawn in the second lane, Zakrzewski could have afforded to ease down but he ran through the line and his reward was a super-fast 10.29 clocking - the fastest of the day by more than one-tenth from the showboating Swede Isak Hughes in 10.44.
Zakrzewski&rsquo;s time was marginally wind-assisted at 2.2 m/s but in calmer conditions, the Pole will surely challenge the championship record of 10.43 set by Germany&rsquo;s Milo Skupin-Alfa in 2016 and maybe even the European U18 best of 10.27 held by France&rsquo;s Jeff Erius.
There was another fast albeit wind-aided performance in the 110m hurdles heats. Finland&rsquo;s Rasmus Vehmaa showed some exceptionally slick hurdling and led the heat qualifiers by more than two-tenths with his winning time of 13.18.
His time was 0.01 faster than the championship record but the wind was above the legal limit at 3.7 m/s.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Koscak in command after four events in the heptathlon
Jana Koscak leads the heptathlon overnight and the Croatian has a comfortable cushion of over 300 points over her nearest competitor.
Her standout performance was the high jump in which she cleared 1.87m, adding a whopping eleven centimetres to her previous lifetime best, and she put together two more solid events this evening to consolidate her lead.
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After her record-breaking 1.87m, Koscak threw 13.97m in the shot put and concluded her day with 25.50 in the 200m. This took her day one total up to 3730 points with a clear lead on Hungary&rsquo;s Sarolta Kriszt (3399 points) and Germany&rsquo;s Pia Messing (3351 points).
&ldquo;The highlight today has definitely been the high jump. I jumped 1.87m and that is my personal best - a huge personal best for me compared to the previous one. On the other hand, I am a little disappointed with the 200. Tomorrow it is Javelin time, and I love the Javelin, so I hope I get some more points then,&rdquo; said Kocsak.
Full results <a title="" href="https://jerusalem22results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.&nbsp;

Denmark&rsquo;s Sofia Th&oslash;gersen hadn&rsquo;t contested a race over the barriers this season prior to Jerusalem but the 16-year-old sauntered into the 2000m steeplechase final on the first morning session of the Jerusalem 2022 European Athletics U18 Championships on Monday (4).
The silver medallist in the 3000m flat at the Tallinn 2021 European Athletics U20 Championships last summer when she was the youngest athlete in the race, Th&oslash;gersen eased to victory in the first heat in 6:45.31 ahead of European U18 leader Jolanda Kallabis from Germany in 6:48.67.
But even though Th&oslash;gersen qualified fastest and can already boast a European medal on her r&eacute;sum&eacute;, the Dane is by no means resting on her laurels.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I do not feel extra confidence having won a medal in Tallinn last year. In fact, I feel a little pressure,&rdquo; said Th&oslash;gersen who has been dealing with a back injury this year. &ldquo;I am really looking forward to the finals, and I hope I have saved enough energy for it.&rdquo;
From the second heat, Kallabis&rsquo; German compatriot Adia Budde chose to run from the front and she led the automatic qualifiers in 6:48.71 by a comfortable margin from Spain&rsquo;s Xela Martinez in 6:54.36.
Other track highlights included Spain&rsquo;s David Garcia qualifying fastest for the men&rsquo;s 400m final with 47.66. And there will be home representation in the men&rsquo;s 800m final with Israel&rsquo;s Noam Mamu qualifying automatically from the second heat in 1:53.48 behind France&rsquo;s Cyann Galtier-Villa in 1:52.91.
Topic and Savva in command on the in-field&nbsp;
Fresh from equalling the world U18 best in the high jump with 1.96m, Angelina Topic found a height almost 20 centimetres lower than her recently-set record to qualify for the final.
The Serbian didn&rsquo;t record a single failure in qualifying, nor did fellow medal contenders Germany&rsquo;s Johanna Goring and Merel Maes from Belgium. Estonia&rsquo;s Karmen Bruus also progressed but the 1.91m performer needed a full complement of attempts at her opening height of 1.71m.
Topic begins as the outstanding favourite after clearing 1.96m last weekend but the 16-year-old is aware she will face strong opposition for the title.&nbsp;
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&ldquo;Let's see how I feel on Wednesday,&rdquo; said Topic. &ldquo;Also, the other competitors are in great shape, so we will see. The environment here is great. Lots of people have come out to watch and cheer - I really love it!&rdquo;&nbsp;
In the hammer, pre-event favourite Valentina Savva from Cyprus sailed through to the final with her first throw which was measured at 68.48m - comfortably in excess of the automatic qualifying mark of 65.00m.
&ldquo;It was always my plan to come here and get a big Q straight away. I wanted to do one throw and be in the final. It was an easy round, and my goal is to take the win home,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I have always been this determined, I know what I want, and that is to win.&rdquo;
Koscak breaks her high jump lifetime best&hellip;four times!
The highest jump of the morning session didn&rsquo;t come in the women&rsquo;s high jump qualifying but in the heptathlon.
Jana Koscak was already leading proceedings after a 13.64 100m hurdles but the Croatian is nearly 300 points in the lead after a dream showing in the high jump.
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Koscak started the day with a lifetime best of 1.76m but she produced first-time clearance after first-time clearance in quickfire succession: 1.78m, 1.81m, 1.84m and then 1.87m to add a dizzying eleven centimetres to her lifetime best.
Koscak leads proceedings with 2097 points after two events ahead of Germany's Pia Messing (1813 points) and Hungary's Sarolta Kriszt (1783 points).
Full results <a title="" href="https://jerusalem22results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

With less than 80 days to go, European Athletics and the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA) are ramping up preparations for the first European DNA U20 Clubs competition in Castell&oacute;n, Spain on 17-18 September.
Hosted by local club Playas de Castell&oacute;n, the pilot project event will attract more than 200 competitors representing teams from 11 Member Federations and it follows on from February&rsquo;s successful indoor debut of DNA (Dynamic New Athletics) in Glasgow where, coincidently, the senior national team from Spain took home top honours.
The event in Castell&oacute;n will be a milestone in the delivery of the DNA concept.
&ldquo;The Glasgow event and, before that, the 2019 launch in Minsk established that elite, senior athletes and hardcore fans really enjoy DNA once they experience it and see what it is all about,&rdquo; said European Athletics Vice President Libor Varhanik, who is the DNA project steering group chairman.
&ldquo;Now we want to learn how well we are reaching two very specific target groups: U20 club athletes and younger potential fans who will be watching on their smartphones. The results will help inform us of the direction we need to take in the future.&rdquo;
Building on Glasgow&rsquo;s successful communications campaign, which used the tagline &lsquo;Athletics with Attitude&rsquo;, the pre-event promotion for Castell&oacute;n will be social media-focused and highlight young competitors selected by their clubs with the aim of attracting a big audience for the live stream of the event, which will be available via several platforms.
RFEA President Raul Chapado, who is also a member of both the European Athletics Council and the DNA project steering group, sees the U20 event as an important element of his federation&rsquo;s long-term strategy to attract and retain young athletes.
&ldquo;The DNA format is already well established in Spain. We have delivered DNA national championships for both senior and U20 teams and this summer we introduced the concept in Spanish schools with a project we called &lsquo;Jungle Athletics&rsquo;. I am sure that Castell&oacute;n will help to increase its popularity.&rdquo; he said.
In addition to Spain, who will field two 18-athlete (nine men/nine women) teams &ndash; the host club and CD Surco Lucena - ten European Athletics Member Federations have confirmed the participation of their leading clubs in their countries for the 12-team, tournament-style competition.
Day 1 (17 September) will see two 2.5-hour preliminary matches of 12 disciplines for six teams each, leading the teams qualifying for either the A or final on the following day.
Day 2 (18 September): the final team positions in each match will be determined by the last race &ndash; &lsquo;The Hunt&rsquo; medley relay &ndash; which starts from a staggered start based on the points scored in the first 11 events.
Following the event in Castell&oacute;n, European Athletics and the RFEA will co-host an online Jungle Athletics/DNA conference to promote the project and develop plans for the continued roll-out of DNA in 2023, which could include an international clubs&rsquo; event for senior athletes.
Athletes, club leaders and other members of the athletics community are invited to join the conference, ask questions, and learn more about DNA.
For further information on the DNA U20 Clubs competition, the conference and the DNA project itself see <a href="about:blank">www.dna.run</a>.
The European DNA U20 Clubs competition in Castell&oacute;n comes at the end of busy summer for European Athletics with the first European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships in El Paso, Spain from 1-3 July and then the European Athletics U18 Championships in Jerusalem, Israel from 4-7 July followed by the highlight of the continental outdoor season, the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships from 15-21 August.

First European DNA U20 Clubs competition set for 17-18 September in Castellón

European Athletics is responsible for promoting athletics in Europe and for making it a safe environment for everyone involved in the sport and has launched its Safeguarding Policy to help ensure this.
The Safeguarding Policy can be accessed and downloaded&nbsp;<a href="https://7cy74.r.a.d.sendibm1.com/mk/cl/f/cvVJQi3T3iiPKUWYia6-i-x9ov7fPIuF-uC62vwf6Ahd2mHYdJvVM6fGE6lGWDicKAoyrzqR6npGVrl_zQTp0mamF1MZUK8te8Py7hhJgfyFIIDQgM5dXP8vLuoFZOaKU4ugIIT98kBrN6mOAVGiWxKUhE5ZC4a1rameX7EZ3Vc7PMiBjHJnupyLYXAPXIivJlOggkPhF_R6a15G6rhD9XVeTsbNCgutFXq54Isbq8dnVJSQfmqGLmSl0Uu95P9yWSOdo8roRlLLEJdqnWorVj5jXOPAu9vWhiV1CUjupwGH2F2MQ8mZNux9kg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">here</a>.
The Safeguarding Policy was approved at the recent European Athletics Council meeting that was held between of 6-9 May in Munich with the guiding principles of preventing harassment, abuse and exploitation in athletics.
A key component of this policy is supporting the European Athletics Member Federations in creating or reviewing their own national safeguarding policies with a view to implementing the measures outlined by European Athletics by the end of 2023.
&ldquo;Safeguarding is instrumental to our sport, Athletics is a place where we should be able to express our passion and feel safe regardless of our role,&rdquo; commented European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov.
&ldquo;We took a clear stand by conditioning our funding for Member Federations to their commitment to have their own safeguarding policy in place as soon as possible and start its implementation by the end of 2023, and we will also support our Member Federations to succeed in this endeavour.&rdquo;
The European Athletics Safeguarding Programme ensures the implementation of a twin-pillar strategy based on European Athletics&rsquo; own commitments and its commitments toward the European Athletics Member Federations.
European Athletics has adopted the World Athletics Safeguarding Policy, is currently updating the EAA Code of Ethics as well as upgrading its reporting platform and has created a set of Safeguarding Principles to ensure the safe delivery of our sport in Europe.&nbsp;
European Athletics support for its Member Federations includes raising awareness of safeguarding issues by providing prevention and educational activities via its communication campaigns and also establishing forums during various events including the European Athletics Convention, the Young Leaders Forum, and the CEO Conference.&nbsp;
European Athletics Executive Board Member Karin Grute Movin, who is also the Chair of the Safeguarding Working Group, highlighted the woks of both groups to make athletics safe.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It is the time for European Athletics to lead by example as an Area Association and to provide adequate support to our Member Federations so that together we can reach the 2023 target for delivering a safer sport and a better environment in which to participate in athletics,&rdquo; said Grute Movin.&nbsp;
Everyone in the European Athletics family is responsible for ensuring that no one suffers abuse, harassment, or exploitation.&nbsp;
If anyone has any suspicion that abuse, harassment, or exploitation occurred to someone they should report it&nbsp;through the dedicated and confidential&nbsp;<a href="https://7cy74.r.a.d.sendibm1.com/mk/cl/f/37XfoPOXpYFQLN53bS7cIGjyt3nI8Ok41lBrB90h96wl8NskMjtvHt28bwmOTgsTABF81PG1-mCEx2h5CiGFoW-W7fGcPKk9ORsTuef9BHzXbqsXS4hlr_TDQ41JUzw_qodD1t9ed-l6gIy5EjU6-CqdNTrBkH9L0mC25b3nWmysoArVNO9RYw2dWfbFK36Qa3fl6Au3mIKmaZyFU5hrGYNf3NgCVg0J5PXYrxvmmREM3Wzr7PHrftXO" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">European Athletics Integrity Platform (which can be accessed here)</a>.&nbsp; This Platform is fully secured and independent from European Athletics and reports can be made anonymously.&nbsp;

European Athletics launches its safeguarding policy

European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov and CEO Christian Milz met with the Prime Minister of Romania Nicolae-Ionel Ciucă and Romanian Athletics Federation, President Anișoara Cușmir-Stanciu to discuss the hosting of the 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships in Cluj-Napoca on Wednesday morning (22).
The delegation from European Athletics met with the Romanian dignitaries and officials in the Prime Minister&rsquo;s offices at the Victoria Palace in Bucharest, the main government building in the Romanian capital.
The 27th edition of these championships will take place between 3-6 August in 2023 and follows on from Cluj-Napoca&rsquo;s successful staging of the European Athletics Team Championships First League earlier this year.
&ldquo;This high-calibre competition will give us the chance to promote athletes and a new generation of brilliant sports stars,&rdquo; said Ciucă.
&ldquo;The Government of Romania offers its full support to the organisation of this sporting event and will continue to be actively involved in bring high-class competitions here to be hosted by our country," he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
European Athletics had a very productive meeting with the Prime Minister of Romania Nicolae Ciucă along with federation leaders Anișoara Cușmir-Stanciu and Mladinoiu Adrian. One year before the European U20 Championships in Cluj Napoca we are all looking in the same direction. <a href="https://t.co/LFC1OpN4OL">pic.twitter.com/LFC1OpN4OL</a>
&mdash; Dobromir Karamarinov (@DobriBulgaria) <a href="https://twitter.com/DobriBulgaria/status/1539534229360586752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
&ldquo;We really appreciate the initiative of Romania in organising these championships. In addition to the Prime Minister&rsquo;s support, I would also like to thank Romania for its organisational efforts that meant we had the best conditions of the Balkan Athletics Championships, which were staged in Craiova last week,&rdquo; commented President Karamarinov.
Approximately 1100 athletes from every one of the eligible European Athletics Member Federations is expected to compete in Cluj-Napoca next year.

European Athletics President Karamarinov meets with Romanian Prime Minister Ciucă

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SPAR has been the principal sponsor of European Athletics since 1996, becoming synonymous with the sport during this period. Athletics is a sport where personal endeavour is combined with team participation to achieve success, and SPAR identifies with this principle through its national partners by ensuring that consumers enjoy shopping at SPAR. SPAR retailers continue to develop the brand through sponsorship awareness and through the critical link with individual athletes who are also customers of independent retailers. SPAR is proud to be involved with European Athletics, an organisation which strives to bring passion and enthusiasm for their sport to viewers, spectators and participants.

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Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland began its partnership with European Athletics in 2008 as a top-tier sponsor of all Major Events and the European Athletics U23 and U20  Championships. Le Gruyère is a very high quality natural cheese that has been produced for many centuries in an artisanal method without any additives. VIP guests, athletes and fans have the opportunity to taste this magnificent cheese at European Athletics events sponsored by Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland.

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Atos is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic and  Paralympic Games. It is also the Timing-Scoring, Results and Operations provider of European Athletics events since 2017, and European Athletics Official Digital Partner for their new digital platform (web and mobile).


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Mondo has designed and produced prefabricated athletics tracks since 1948 and has been a European Athletics partner since 1988. They have combined their skills in the pursuit of a shared goal: to support the growth of athletics with passion and innovation. Mondo’s athletics surfaces offer uniform dynamic response and complete control over stride, rhythm, and balance for every athlete. The advantages of Mondo’s prefabricated track surfaces include optimal performance for athletes regardless of climate and environmental conditions. Mondo operates a careful selection of its raw materials for its track surfaces and constant production as we care about athletes’ health. Mondo products have passed UL Environment Tests for more than 10,000 volatile chemical agents and have attained GREENGUARD Gold certification.

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