The nomination of candidates to the vacancies on the European Athletics Council for election at the forthcoming 27th European Athletics Congress on 14 October in Lausanne, Switzerland have been announced.
Member Federations had until a closing date of Sunday 15 August to submit their nominations in writing to the European Athletics Head Office, at least 60 days before the date of the Congress according to Article 17.3 of the Constitution.
Four positions will be open for election at the 2021 Congress, two vacancies following the unfortunate deaths of the late President Svein Arne Hansen and Council Member Frank Hensel in 2020 and two resulting from the subsequent fulfilment of those positions.
The elections will be for European Athletics President, Vice President and two Council Members.
Current European Athletics Interim President, Dobromir Karamarinov, will stand unopposed in the election for European Athletics President.
Dobromir Karamarinov, as the European Athletics First Vice President and in line with the European Athletics Constitution, has been at the helm of the continental governing body for athletics as Interim President since he assumed this role following previous President Svein Arne Hansen's stroke in March 2020, which sadly left the latter unable to perform the duties of his position.
With Dobromir Karamarinov formally relinquishing his position as Vice President, the candidates for the vacant position of Vice President are three current Council Members (listed in Member Federation alphabetical order):
- Erich Teigamägi (EST)
- Jean Gracia (FRA)
- Márton Gyulai (HUN)
As all three of the above candidates are existing Council Members this means there will be a second vacant position open for election to the Council, in addition to the vacancy created following the death of former Council Member Fank Hensel (GER).
The four candidates nominated for two Council Member positions are (in Member Federation alphabetical order):
- Juergen Kessing (GER)
- Frank Carreras (GIB)
- Henryk Olszewski (POL)
- Luis Figueiredo (POR)
The 2021 Congress will see just the sixth President of European Athletics elected since its foundation in 1970 following Adriaan Paulen (NED) 1970-1976, Arthur Gold (GBR) 1976-1987, Carl-Olaf Homen (FIN) 1987-1999, Hansjörg Wirz (SUI) 1999-2015 and Svein Arne Hansen (NOR) 2015-2020.
