Following the announcement in October 2021 that the next edition of the European Athletics Team Championships would be part the European Games 2023, a change in format to the competition has been agreed by the European Athletics Council.
The European Athletics Team Championships will now consist of three divisions, whereas formerly it was four leagues.
The Championships take place on consecutive days between 20-25 June 2023&nbsp;at the Slaski Stadium in the Region of Silesia, which was also the venue for the 2021 European Athletics Team Championships Super League.
The 1st Division will consist of 16 teams, the 2nd Division will also have 16 teams, and the 3rd Division will be made up of the remaining teams entered from European Athletics&rsquo; Member Federations.
In order to enhance the TV and spectator engagement in the Championships and maximise the promotional opportunities across the entire continent and beyond,&nbsp;all the divisions&nbsp;will be take place during the European Games 2023 and over six days at the same venue.
<ul>
<li>Day 1 to Day 3 (20-22 June 2023): 3rd Division will take place in the morning sessions and the 2nd Division in the evening sessions.&nbsp; &nbsp;</li>
<li>Day 4 to Day 6 (23-25 June 2023): 1st Division will take place in the evening sessions.</li>
</ul>
The European Athletics Team Championships groupings for 2023 are as follows:
<ul>
<li>1st Division: Poland, Italy , Great Britain &amp; NI, Germany , Spain, France, Portugal, Czech Republic, Belarus*, Netherlands, Switzerland, Türkiye, Finland, Sweden, Greece and Belgium. </li>
<li>2nd Division: Norway, Romania, Estonia, Hungary, Denmark, Slovenia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Latvia, Croatia, Iceland, Serbia, Cyprus, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. </li>
<li>3rd Division: Luxembourg, Bosnia &amp; Herzegovina, Malta, Montenegro, Georgia, Armenia, Andorra, Republic of North Macedonia, San Marino, Albania, AASSE (Athletic Association of Small States of Europe), Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Austria, Ireland, Israel and the Russian Federastion*.</li>
</ul>
The distribution and listed order of teams was based on the results of the European Athletics Team Championships 2021.
* Participation of Belarus and the Russian Federation is subject to the lifting of the current sanctions.

European Athletics Team Championships format changes for 2023

European Athletics announced on Wednesday (27) that all divisions of the European Athletics Team Championships will be part of the European Games 2023.&nbsp;
The European Athletics Team Championships is the world&rsquo;s premier&nbsp;team competition between nations, with promotion and relegation&nbsp;at stake between the various divisions.
As part of the agreement between European Athletics and the European Olympic Committees, all divisions of the Team Championships will be contested back-to-back at the Slaski Stadium in the Region of Silesia the venue for the 2021 European Athletics Team Championships Super League &ndash; with the concept &lsquo;under one roof&rsquo; thus providing a feast of top-class European team athletics.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
European Athletics Interim President, Dobromir Karamarinov,&nbsp;said: &ldquo;We have been discussing&nbsp;with the&nbsp;European Olympic Committees&nbsp;for some time now about&nbsp;integrating&nbsp;the European Athletics Team Championships&nbsp;to&nbsp;become&nbsp;a key part of the European Games in 2023. The European Athletics Council approved this move last month.
&ldquo;Now, thanks to the agreement with the European Olympic Committees and the local authorities in Silesia, with whom we already have an excellent relationship, we can continue&nbsp;with the detailed planning of the format of the championships and finding the right dates within the&nbsp;European Games&nbsp;window of 21 June to 2 July in 2023.
&ldquo;I would like to take this opportunity to thank the European Olympic Committees President Spyros Capralos for the positive and speedy discussions between our two organisations that have led to this agreement,&rdquo; concluded Karamarinov.&nbsp;
</blockquote>
European Athletics CEO, Christian Milz, said: &ldquo;The addition of the European Athletics Team Championships to the programme of the European Games 2023 is a &lsquo;win-win&rsquo; situation for both European Athletics and the European Olympic Committees. We will deliver a top-level team athletics competition, with exciting promotion and relegation battles between national teams, that provides a truly exciting athletics event for both television and spectators alike.&rdquo;&nbsp;
European Olympic Committees President, Spyros&nbsp;Capralos, said: &ldquo;Since 2015, we have been working closely with European Athletics to make sure we have the best athletics competition as part of the European Games programme. Thanks to their great cooperation, we have now found an outstanding solution for 2023 with the Team Championships and we are confident that the athletics competition in Poland will be one of the most popular events during the Games.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Chair of European Games Coordination Commission, Hasan Arat, said: &ldquo;It is fantastic news for us to welcome&nbsp;athletics back into the European Games programme. Now we will have the very best track and field athletes in Europe competing, and this is not only great for the Games, but it will also be very much appreciated by the passionate athletics fans in Poland.&rdquo;&nbsp;
The Marshal of Silesia, Jakub Chełstowski, said: &ldquo;I am delighted and honoured to announce that the Region of Silesia will once again be hosting European Athletics at the Slaski Stadium, this time in the form of the athletics at the forthcoming European Games in 2023. We already had a very successful cooperation with European Athletics when we welcomed the European Athletics Team Championships Super League this year and I know that the Polish athletics fans are already looking forward to seeing top-class athletes in action in 2023.&rdquo;
Discussions will now commence with the Spanish athletics federation about their hosting the 2025 European Athletics Team Championships Super League after they had been provisionally awarded the 2023 event in May this year prior to the advanced discussions with the European Olympic Committees.

European Athletics Team Championships to join the European Games in 2023

After suffering the ignominy of relegation in 2019, the Czech Republic soared back into the Super League with victory at the European Athletics Team Championships First League in Cluj-Napoca, Romania on Sunday (20).
Courtesy of two victories across the final day and a consistent showing throughout including eleven top two finishes, the Czechs tallied 320.5 points to secure the First League title and their passage back into the top flight of this competition in 2023. They will be joined by Belarus who accrued 315 points while overnight leaders the Netherlands dropped back to third with 300 points.
At the other end of the league table, Estonia will get relegated into the third tier of the competition along with hosts Romania who drop out of the First League for the first time in competition history. Ireland will also drop down a tier by virtue of not competing due to coronavirus restrictions.
The Czechs finished with a flourish on the second day with two victories on the track to aid their promotion bid. Jan Jirka won the 200m in 20.82 ahead of former European champion Churandy Martina from the Netherlands in 21.03 and the Czech relay team which included three-time world and European indoor 400m champion Pavel Maslak concluded the programme with a come-from-behind victory ahead of the Netherlands in the 4x400m, winning in a European-leading time of 3:02.42 ahead of the Dutch with 3:02.49.
[TWITTER ID="http://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1406672438235127817"]
The Belarusians just missed out on the overall title but they will also take their place in the Super League again in 2023. After lying in third overnight, the Belarusians rocketed up the leaderboard at the start of the second day with a succession of victories which each yielded 12 points.
After two European Team Championship records on the first day, European champion Elvira Herman provided the individual highlight on day two by winning the 100m hurdles in a championship record and lifetime best of 12.62 ahead of Belgium&rsquo;s Anne Zagre (12.87) with Zoe Sedney from the Netherlands third in a lifetime best of 12.94.
&ldquo;I am very happy that I beat my personal best,&rdquo; said Herman, who is also the reigning European U23 champion. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just excited and I want to run better and better if possible.&rdquo;
[TWITTER ID="https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1406625776640876551"]
Vitali Parakhonka provided the first part of a double in the sprint hurdles with victory in the 110m hurdles in a season&rsquo;s best of 13.50 and Maksim Niastsiarenka also won the triple jump with 16.65m. At the other end of the programme, the Belarusians all but ensured their route out of the second tier of this competition by winning the women&rsquo;s 4x400m in 3:28.14 from Switzerland (3:28.77) and the Czech Republic (3:30.51).
The Netherlands led by 14.5 points overnight but that lead began to evaporate over the course of the second day programme. After four victories on the first day, the Dutch could only manage one victory on the second day courtesy of Mike Foppen winning the 3000m in 7:57.43.
Switzerland climbed up to fourth in the overall standings with some outstanding performances on the second day. Another individual highlight on the second day was Salome Lang clearing three outdoor lifetime bests in the high jump which culminated with a third-time clearance at 1.96m, a national record and an Olympic qualifying standard.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s my best day. I&rsquo;m so happy, I&rsquo;m so relieved,&rdquo; said Lang. &ldquo;I had so much pressure on me for the Olympics and I&rsquo;m so happy.&rdquo;
[TWITTER ID="https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1406640393249304577"]
Romania&rsquo;s Daniela Stanciu finished second with 1.92m but despite a string of victories on the second day, the Romanians will drop down into the Second League for the first time in European Team Championships history in 2023.
Former world U18 and U20 champion Bianca Ghelber won the hammer at the start of the programme with 71.19m, Florentina Iusco won the long jump with 6.55m with the last jump of the competition and world fourth-placer Alin Alexandru Firfirica won the discus with 62.38m.
While Romania, Estonia and Ireland slide down into the Second League, they will be replaced in the First League in 2023 by Hungary, Denmark and Slovenia who occupied the three promotion places at the European Athletics Team Championships Second League in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.
Full First League results can be found <a href="https://cluj-napoca21results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Full Second League results can be found <a href="https://stara-zagora21results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Full Third League results can be found <a href="https://limassol21results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Czech Republic and Belarus seal promotion into the Super League in Cluj-Napoca

Propelled by five track victories, the Netherlands are on course to return to the Super League in 2023 after the first day of competition at the European Athletics Team Championships First League in Cluj-Napoca, Romania on Saturday (19).
The Netherlands have accrued 175 points after 21 events and have a healthy cushion over the Czech Republic who occupy the second promotion spot with 160.5 points with Belarus (158 points) and Greece (154 points) still in the reckoning. At the other end of the spectrum, hosts Romania (94 points) and Estonia (79 points) occupy two of the relegation places along with Ireland who pulled out of the event.
The standout performance - and not just from a Dutch standpoint - was Femke Bol&rsquo;s victory in the 400m. Fresh from a 53.44 clocking in the 400m hurdles in the Rome Diamond League, Bol reverted back to the 400m flat in Cluj-Napoca and the 21-year-old strode to an unopposed victory in 50.37.
[TWITTER ID="http://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1406296763015835649"]
Bol&rsquo;s time was not only another Dutch record and a European lead but she also displaced the championship record of 50.50 set by Great Britain&rsquo;s Perri Shakes-Drayton in the Super League eight years. Remarkably this was Bol&rsquo;s tenth national record of the season across all distances even at this relatively early juncture of the summer season!
One of Bol&rsquo;s training partners Jochem Dobber followed suit with victory in the men&rsquo;s 400m in 45.40 and national record-holder Irene Van Der Reijken won the 3000m steeplechase in 9:39.00 ahead of Romania&rsquo;s Elena Adelina Paneat in 9:41.68.
The Dutch team further embellished their promotion prospects on the first day by closing the programme with victories in both the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s 4x100m. Naomi Sedney anchored the women&rsquo;s team to victory in 43.38 ahead of a depleted Swiss team in 43.73 and veteran Churandy Martina held off a late charge from Türkiye&rsquo;s Ramil Guliyev to win the men&rsquo;s 4x100m in 38.81 to 38.94.
Shortly after Bol&rsquo;s record-breaking performance in the 400m, fellow European indoor champion Miltiadis Tentoglou from Greece also eclipsed the European Team Championships record in the men&rsquo;s long jump.
Tentoglou began with 8.27m which would have handsomely sufficed for the victory but the world leader improved with his third effort, landing in the sandpit at 8.38m to add two centimetres to the previous record of 8.36m set by Russia&rsquo;s Aleksandr Menkov also at the 2013 edition in Gateshead.
[TWITTER ID="http://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1406304281200893960"]
Given the calibre of the field, Tentoglou was surprisingly the only athlete to break the eight metre-line. Czech Republic&rsquo;s Radek Juska collected eleven points in second place with 7.95m with Sweden&rsquo;s Thobias Montler, who has twice won silver medals behind Tentoglou at the European Indoor Championships, third with 7.94m.
Another standout performance on the first day came from the in-form Finnish triple jumper Senni Salminen who set a European lead and national record of 14.63m in the fourth round to defeat former European U20 champion Violetta Skvartsova from Belarus by exactly half-a-metre.
After two failures at 4.60m, reigning European indoor champion Angelica Moser&rsquo;s gamble to pass to a season&rsquo;s best of 4.65m paid off as the Swiss claimed maximum points in the pole vault ahead of Greece&rsquo;s Eleni-Klaoudia Polak with 4.60m.
The second day of competition will be streamed live through the European Athletics website again.
Full day one results can be found <a href="https://cluj-napoca21results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<a href="https://stara-zagora21results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Second League results</a>
<a href="https://limassol21results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Third League results</a>

Bol’s 400m championship record puts the Netherlands on the promotion path in Cluj-Napoca

Five recently crowned European indoor champions from Torun will be on team duties at the European Athletics Team Championships First League in Cluj-Napoca, Romania which will be held in the recently refurbished Cluj Arena on 19-20 June and streamed live through the European Athletics website.
And all five athletes are representing countries with credible chances of securing one of the two available promotion places back into the European Athletics Team Championships Super League in 2023.
The Swiss team includes Ajla Del Ponte and Angelica Moser who triumphed in the 60m and pole vault respectively in Torun and the gold medal-winning duo will helm Switzerland&rsquo;s prospects of reaching the Super League for only the second time since the formation of the competition in 2009.
After winning European titles at U20 and U23 level, Moser embellished her credentials as a big time performer by landing her first senior title in the pole vault in Torun where she cleared lifetime bests of 4.70m and 4.75m. Her clash with Sweden&rsquo;s Angelica Bengtsson could be one of the highlights of the weekend.
Del Ponte capped her indoor season with a sparkling 60m victory at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in a world leading 7.03. However, the early weeks of her summer campaign were waylaid by a positive coronavirus test which forced her to miss the World Athletics Relays in Silesia.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XRRK_T9ia9I?t=167s" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
But the 24-year-old is building up form again with a 11.18 season&rsquo;s best over 100m in Geneva last weekend and she formed part of a Swiss team that blazed to a world lead of 42.42 in the 4x100m. That same team will be in action this weekend and they could feasibly challenge the championship record of 42.47 set by Germany in the Super League in 2017.
Along with Del Ponte, two of the Kambundji sisters will be in contention for maximum points. Mujinga won the 100m in Geneva in 11.08 but she will be contesting the 200m this weekend, the distance at which she won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, along with the 4x100m.
Her younger sister Ditaji will be making her senior outdoor debut for Switzerland in the 100m hurdles. The 19-year-old has broken the 13 second-barrier twice this season and her recent Swiss U20 record of 12.94 puts her third on the European U20 all-time list.
Among others, Kambundji will face European senior champion Elvira Herman from Belarus - the holder of the European U20 record with 12.85 - and fellow newcomer Zoe Sedney from the Netherlands who reached the European indoor 60m hurdles final in Torun aged 19.&nbsp;
Like Kambundji, Sedney comes from a renowned sporting family and her older sister Naomi will be representing the Netherlands, who last competed in the Super League in 2017, in both the 100m and 4x100m.&nbsp;
The standout name on the Dutch team is European indoor champion Femke Bol who reverts back to the 400m flat this weekend. Bol has already set a staggering nine Dutch records across all distances - relays included - this season including the 400m indoors (50.64) and outdoor (50.56) and the championship record of 50.50 set by Perri Shakes-Drayton in 2013 could be displaced this weekend.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_D8beHW99B0?t=11s" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Bol&rsquo;s training partner Lieke Klaver slots into the Dutch team in the 200m and Menno Vloon, who raised the Dutch pole vault record to 5.96m during the indoor season, is another strong candidate for maximum points this weekend.
The Czech Republic fell a meagre 5.5 points shy of remaining in the Super League two years ago but the Czechs are strong candidates for an immediate reprieve into the top tier of the competition.&nbsp;
The Czech team is laden with star names on both the track and in the field, including recently crowned European indoor champion Tomas Stanek in the shot put. Vitezslav Vesely and Nikola Ogrodnikova could provide a Czech double in the javelin and former European indoor champions Pavel Maslak and Jakub Holusa have been named in the 400m and 1500m respectively.
Greece finished 10th in the Super League in 2019 to slip back down into the second tier of the competition but most of their top names will be competing in Cluj-Napoca including Miltiadis Tentoglou. Tentoglou has dominated on the European stage since the 2018 European Athletics Championships and he now sits atop the world list with a recent lifetime best of 8.60m to move to third on the European all-time list.
[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/CQLFcBMArkA"]
The long jump is shaping up to be a rematch of the high quality European indoor final in Toruń where Tentoglou successfully defended his title. His closest challengers are likely to be Sweden&rsquo;s Thobias Montler and Finland&rsquo;s Kristian Pulli, the silver and bronze medallists behind Tentoglou in Torun.
Sweden and Finland will also be looking to reestablish their positions in the Super League in 2023 along with Türkiye whose team includes Jak Ali Harvey in the 100m and 200m with European 200m champion Ramil Guliyev recruited for relay duties this weekend.
Hosts Romania finished as high as second in the Super League on the women&rsquo;s side in the late 1990s at the European Cup - the predecessor of the European Athletics Team Championships - thanks in no small part to the exploits of the likes of Gabriela Szabo and Ionela Tirlea.
More than 20 years later, the Romanians are unlikely to challenge for promotion but the likes of Bianca Ghelber (hammer), Florentina Iusco (triple jump) and Alin Alexandru Firfirica (discus) are all expected to challenge for maximum points in their respective events which should guarantee Romania&rsquo;s place in the second flight of the competition in 2023.
Ireland&rsquo;s withdrawal from the competition means they will get automatically relegated into the Second League in 2023 along with the two lowest ranked teams at the conclusion of the weekend.&nbsp;

The race for promotion is on at the First League in Cluj-Napoca

Final entries for the European Athletics Team Championships First, Second and Third Leagues on 19-20 June have been published and are available to view.
The First League takes place in Cluj-Napoca, Romania and features the five relegated teams from the Super League in 2019: Sweden, Finland, Greece, Czech Republic and Switzerland. The final entries for the First League can be found <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/891728ea-f1a2-4e87-9ce5-0e260faefbb7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.&nbsp;
The Swiss team features recently crowned European indoor champions Ajla Del Ponte (100m, 4x100m) and Angelica Moser (pole vault) while the Greek team will be expecting maximum points in the long jump from world leader Miltiadis Tentoglou.
Another reigning European indoor champion in action is Femke Bol who will contest the 400m flat in Cluj-Napoca. Her training partner Lieke Klaver will also be in action in the 200m.
However, Ireland will not be competing in Cluj-Napoca citing ongoing coronavirus restriction. The full statement from Athletics Ireland can be read <a href="https://www.athleticsireland.ie/news/european-team-championships-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
The European Athletics Team Championships Second League takes place in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria and the final entries can be found <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/60fb4df4-26f9-4347-8e72-098f4593e4db" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
One of the highlights will be the men's discus featuring reigning European champion Andrius Gudzius from Lithuania and in-form Slovenian Kristjan Ceh who extended his European U23 record to 69.52m last month.&nbsp;
The Bulgarian team will be anchored once again by Ivet Lalova-Collio who competes in the 200m and 4x100m, and Olympic silver medallist Mirela Demireva in the high jump. Lalova-Collio won a 100/200m double on this track in 2015 which helped Bulgaria gain promotion into the First League.
The European Athletics Team Championships Third League will be held in Limassol, Cyprus and final entries can be found <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/32ad20c5-7f47-428b-ba8f-e3c8c8079900" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.&nbsp;
Hosts Cyprus will be one of the favourites for promotion back into the Second League. Their team includes world finalists Milan Trajkovic (110m hurdles) and Apostolos Parellis (discus) along with Eleni Artymata (400m) and twins Olivia Fotopoulou (100m) and Filippa Fotopoulou (long jump).
The men's shot put could be one of the highest quality events of the weekend with the entry-list featuring four throwers with 21 metre-plus lifetime bests: Georgia's Giorgi Mujaridze (21.21m), Mesud Pezer from Bosnia &amp; Herzegovina (21.48m), Serbia's Asmir Kolasinac (21.58m) and Luxembourg's Bob Bertemes (22.22m).
&nbsp;

Final entries published for European Team Championships First, Second and Third Leagues

Accreditation is now open for the European Athletics Team Championships First League in Cluj-Napoca, Romania from 19-20 June.
All accredited members of the media are kindly instructed to follow the sanitary and medical rules and procedures which have been designed to ensure the safe staging of the event. The Sanitary Protocol for media can be found <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/5489b03f-8c1d-4261-9a6a-ee4d7d3fe216" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.&nbsp;
Media
Prospective applicants are invited to apply for accreditation by following one of the three links below and completing the form.
<a href="https://register.event-works.com/ea/EuropeanAthleticsTeamChampionships2021FirstLeague/e/lk/g/95570/k/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Photographer</a>
<a href="https://register.event-works.com/ea/EuropeanAthleticsTeamChampionships2021FirstLeague/e/lk/g/95600/k/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Non-Rights Holder</a>
<a href="https://register.event-works.com/ea/EuropeanAthleticsTeamChampionships2021FirstLeague/e/lk/g/95840/k/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Press</a>
<a href="https://register.event-works.com/ea/EuropeanAthleticsTeamChampionships2021FirstLeague/e/cp/g/101590/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Remote media</a>
The deadline to apply for remote media accreditation is the end of Thursday 17 June.
Accommodation
There is one designated media hotel for the European Athletics Team Championships First League.
Accredited members of the media are strongly recommended to stay in the designated media hotel.&nbsp;
<a href="http://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/cljcpdi-doubletree-cluj-city-plaza/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DoubleTree by Hilton*****</a>  (100 EUR*)
Sindicatelor 9-13.&nbsp;
400029 Cluj-Napoca&nbsp;
*The quoted price is per room, per night and includes tax/VAT, breakfast and WiFi&nbsp;
After successful booking, an accommodation invoice will be sent to the registrant by e-mail.&nbsp;
The deadline to apply for accreditation with accommodation is Wednesday 9 June. After this date accommodation cannot be guaranteed.&nbsp;
Official entry point
The official entry point is the Avram Iancu Cluj International Airport. The travel time from the airport to the testing centre is between 15&ndash;30 minutes&nbsp;
On-site transportation&nbsp;
The LOC will provide transportation between the airport and the official media hotel and the official media hotel and the competition venue.&nbsp;
Accreditation centre
The media accreditation centre can be found at Cluj Arena (Aleea Stadionului Nr 2, Cluj-Napoca)

Media accreditation opens for European Athletics Team Championships First League

Thirteen nations will battle it out for the two promotion spots into the Super League at the 2021 European Athletics Team Championships First League in Cluj-Napoca, Romania on 19-20 June.
The event will be staged in the city’s recently constructed multi-purpose Cluj Arena, a 30,000 seater which hosted the Balkan Championships last September.
The second-tier of Europe’s foremost team competitions will feature the five relegated teams from the Super League in 2019 - Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Sweden and Switzerland - along with Estonia who comfortably topped the standings in the Second League in Varazdin, Croatia in 2019.
Other leading aspirants for promotion into the Super League in 2023 are Belarus and Norway who finished second and third respectively in the First League in Sandnes, Norway in 2019 and have both competed in the Super League in years gone by.
The Norwegians came away with a record nine victories across the programme in Sandnes - compared to the four achieved by 2019 First League champions Portugal who were rewarded for their consistency - but their challenge for promotion back into the top tier for the first time since 2015 suffered a late blow with the unfortunate withdrawal of Karsten Warholm due to a stomach illness. 
A full strength Norwegian team replete with the Ingebrigtsens, Warholm as well as the rapidly emerging and multi-talented Henriette Jaeger - who broke the world U18 heptathlon best in 2020 and whose range also includes a 52.52 400m - will be strong contenders for a return to the Super League in 2023. 
Hosts Romania featured prominently back in the days of the European Cup - the predecessor to the European Athletics Team Championships which made its debut in 2009 - and their women’s team even finished second to Russia in 1993 and 1999, aided by the exploits of Gabriela Szabo and Ionela Tirlea among others.
But fast forward two decades later and the Romanians only finished eighth in the First League in 2019 and just missed relegation by one-and-a-half points. However, the likes of Claudia Bobocea in the middle distances as well as Alina Rotaru and Florentina Iusco in the horizontal jumps and Bianca Ghelber in the hammer should all contend for maximum points in their respective events.
A high quota of points is also anticipated from world fourth-placer Alin Alexandru Firfirica in the discus although he is likely to come up against either world champion Daniel Stahl or his training partner Simon Pettersson in the throwing circle.
All three Nordic nations will be in action in the First League which will add an interesting sub-plot to proceedings. Other nations in action in Cluj-Napoca include Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands and Türkiye. 
The bottom three teams will get relegated to the European Athletics Team Championships Second League in 2023. The Second League in 2021 will be held in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.

Will Norway secure promotion back into the Super League in Cluj-Napoca?

News

Next Editions

Past Editions

European Athletics Team Championships First League

Bol breaks 400m championship record | Cluj-Napoca 2021

Herman speeds to 12.62 100m hurdles | Cluj-Napoca 2021

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec ut augue suscipit, vestibulum enim non, dapibus ante. Nullam eleifend, massa ut venenatis dictum, libero elit gravida tellus, a vestibulum tortor ipsum non augue. Maecenas ullamcorper volutpat tincidunt. Praesent lorem ex, dignissim id commodo vel, fermentum nec neque. Integer enim purus, blandit vitae libero porta, venenatis tincidunt ipsum. Cras hendrerit quam vel nulla convallis aliquet. Cras placerat odio vitae lacus hendrerit rutrum. Suspendisse eget accumsan nulla, quis ultrices risus. Ut dui mi, porta ac commodo ac, tempor et elit. Nullam velit augue, mattis non elementum sed, luctus ut metus. Maecenas lacus nibh, ornare sed fermentum eget, posuere eget nulla.&nbsp;

European Athletics Team Championships First League | Overview

The President

Council

Commissions

Head Office

Congress & Convention

Honours

Your Sport For Life

Publications

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.

SPAR

Eurohold Bulgaria AD is a leading energy and financial group operating mainly in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (CESEE). It is listed on the Bulgarian and Warsaw Stock Exchange. Eurohold owns Euroins Insurance Group AD (EIG), one of the largest insurance groups in the region. EIG provides a full range of insurance products, serves over 4 million customers in 13 countries and has over 3000 employees.

Eurohold

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.

Le Gruyère

Toyo Tires is one of the world's largest tire manufacturers. Toyo Tire Corporation was founded in 1945 in Osaka, Japan. In 1975, the manufacturer opened its European headquarters in Germany. The product range includes winter, summer and all-season tyres for motor vehicles as well as van tyres and special off-road products. The philosophy of Toyo Tires is to combine driving pleasure with top performance. This is reflected in each of the products, as well as in its close partnership with European Athletics.

Toyo Tires

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has been the Official Broadcast Partner of European Athletics since 1981. During this 40-year partnership, the outstanding collaboration between both organisations has always been focused on developing European Athletics into a more attractive product for television, spectators and athletes. Through its operational department Eurovision Services, the EBU is continuously working to promote athletics by offering the most comprehensive coverage of European Athletics events all over Europe.

Conica has been developing and manufacturing innovative seamless flooring solutions for sports, games and leisure for over 40 years and is one of the world's market leaders and innovation drivers in this field.  The user-oriented requirements for technical and sports functional performance as well as usability while guaranteeing the health aspects of the material itself, and for the user, are the focus of Conica's product development.  Conica is part of the Serafin group of companies based in Munich, Germany.

Conica

Polanik is a family company, founded by Wiesław Szczepanik in 1966. It produces athletics equipment having over thousand products in the offer. Polanik fully equips stadiums all over the world and handles the highest-level athletics events. Stars of athletics beat world records using Polanik products. Polanik is held in high regard by many for top quality and advisory services for designers and investors of athletics stadiums.

Polanik

Opened in 1909 and magnificently restored, the Hotel Royal Savoy Lausanne combines Art Nouveau and modernity with genuine panache. Featuring tailor-made service and unbeatable comfort, this legendary venue is located a short walk from the shores of Lac Leman and offers every guest the absolute luxury of feeling truly at home. The Hotel Royal Savoy is proud to be the Preferred Hotel Partner of European Athletics in Lausanne since 2016, offering valuable support and accommodation services to European Athletics business activities throughout the year.

Hotel Royal Savoy Lausanne

Getty Images is the world's leading creator and distributor of visual content – with award winning editorial photographers and videographers covering hundreds of Sports, Entertainment, and News events daily. Digital asset management and distribution services optimize efficiency and content syndication for hundreds of media partners and rights holders.

Getty images

The first companies of Würth MODYF Group were founded in Künzelsau, Germany and Neumarkt, Italy in 1997 as an independent subsidiary of the Würth Group and can thus look back on more than 25 years of experience in the field of workwear and safety footwear.

Würth MODYF Group currently operates companies in ten countries and has more than 400 employees in Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland. Smaller sales units support Würth MODYF’s customers in Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium. Würth MODYF Group is continuing to expand internationally, opening new branches all over Europe.

European Athletics Team Championships First League

LATEST

European Athletics Team Championships format changes for 2023

European Athletics Team Championships to join the European Games in 2023

Czech Republic and Belarus seal promotion into the Super League in Cluj-Napoca

Bol’s 400m championship record puts the Netherlands on the promotion path in Cluj-Napoca

The race for promotion is on at the First League in Cluj-Napoca

Final entries published for European Team Championships First, Second and Third Leagues

Media accreditation opens for European Athletics Team Championships First League

Will Norway secure promotion back into the Super League in Cluj-Napoca?

Videos

Bol breaks 400m championship record | Cluj-Napoca 2021

Herman speeds to 12.62 100m hurdles | Cluj-Napoca 2021

European Athletics Team Championships First League