As the World Athletics Indoor Championships approach, President Dobromir Karamarinov sends best wishes to the competitors in Glasgow and reviews indoor season highlights.
With the 2024 indoor season reaching a climax with the World Athletics Indoor Championships this coming weekend, we asked the European Athletics President to reflect on this important part of our sport.
“I can say that it has been an outstanding few weeks for European Athletics and European athletes.
“The last of this year’s World Athletics Indoor Tour meetings in Europe took place on Saturday and the world has once again come to our continent for this particular aspect of our sport, which we deliver so well and enjoy so much on the evidence of what has happened in January and February.
“Europe remains the focal point for indoor/short track athletics and let me give you some statistics that justify this.
“Out of the 60 World Athletics Indoor Tour meetings that took place this year, 52 of them were in Europe: four out of the seven Gold meetings, all 16 of the silver meetings, 12 of the 15 Bronze meetings and 20 of the 22 Challenger meetings.
“The Silver, Bronze and Challenger meetings come under the aegis of European Athletics and in past month or so we have live streamed via our YouTube and Facebook social media channels, with expert English-language commentary, no less than 20 of these meetings.
“Working in conjunction with the meetings themselves and their local broadcasters, we have provided an opportunity for international exposure that has increased the profile of these meetings and all their stakeholders, whether public authorities or commercial partners.
“This has been an excellent investment for European Athletics and it is an important part of the ‘Competition’ and ‘Digitalisation & Innovation’ elements of our Strategic Roadmap for the next four years that was agreed last October.
“The audiences for these meetings have exceeded our expectations, showing there is definitely an appetite for this type of content, and we will continue to extend all our digital activities to engage ever more directly with athletics fans.
“In addition, our Member Federations’ indoor championships, most of which took place two weekends ago, provided a plethora of excellent performances – and often in arenas packed with spectators - which bodes well for our sport generally but specifically for European athletes at the forthcoming World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24.
“One world record, another 23 national records and 27 national U20 records were achieved at these national indoor championships, although I don’t think anyone will argue with the fact that Femke Bol’s 400m world short track record of 49.24 at the Dutch championships was the highlight of that weekend.
“European athletes lead the entries in eight events in Glasgow, but our continent’s athletes have a habit of rising to the occasion at this event.
“Eleven titles were won by European athletes two years ago at the last edition of these championships in Belgrade so I am highly optimistic that the indoor season, from a European Athletics perspective, will have a fitting and satisfying conclusion in Glasgow.
“Let me wish good luck to all European athletes competing at the World Athletics Indoor Championships but also to those who have chosen to skip the indoor season and already preparing for outdoor season as we have a big milestone to celebrate together on 28 February: 100 days to go to Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships."