Organisers behind European Athletics events in 2025 and 2026 were provided with world leading expert support at the first ever Risk Management workshop in Geneva, Switzerland on Friday (22).
The workshop was attended by representatives of the Local Organising Committees from the European Athletics events over the next two years.
Governance of Member Federations prioritised
The European Athletics Governance and Integrity Commission led by Vice President Jean Gracia have made Member Federations' Governance a pillar of their work, fully supported by the Council and Friday’s workshop saw this area begin to come to fruition.
“This workshop in Geneva is a significant milestone for European Athletics, highlighting the importance of good governance and risk management for the success of major sporting events.
“The attendance of European Athletics and LOC project leaders and Member Federation staff involved in organising our championships reflects a proactive approach to ensuring excellence in event delivery and it was a great educational opportunity” said the President Dobromir Karamarinov.
Championship hosts all attend
Delegates from the Apeldoorn 2025 European Indoor Championships, Brussels-Leuven 2025 European Running Championships, Madrid 2025 European Team Championships Division 1, Maribor 2025 European Team Championships Division 2 & 3, Tampere 2025 European Athletics U20 Championships, Bergen 2025 European Athletics U23 Championships, Lagoa 2025 SPAR European Cross Country Championships, Rieti 2026 European Athletics U18 Championships, Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships together with representatives from Monaco 2026 Championships of Small States of Europe were all in attendance.
Athletics and football expertise
Workshops were delivered by Sylvia Barlag, European Athletics Governance and Integrity Commission member and a World Athletics Council Member exploring the Risk Management basics, toolbox and Crisis Management and Communication.
The day included also a Major Event Case study from outside of athletics with UEFA’s Lukasz Wojtowicz and Andreas Mex Schäer presenting their experience at UEFA and learnings from UEFA EURO 2024 held in Germany this past summer.
The audience also heard from Jacky Delapierre, CEO of the Athletissima Diamond League Meeting in Lausanne on the crucial subject of event insurance. The session is the first in a series of governance-related education opportunities, with further activities set to be introduced in 2025.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics