Many viewers, good TV ratings, enthusiastic athletes: The European Championships are a success. The new Event is even a model for the recently sharply criticized the Olympic games?
“A really cool Event”, “Mini-Olympics”, “Olympic Feeling” a lot of athletes were thrilled. The participants of the first European Championships in Berlin and Glasgow praised the concept, implementation, and mood of the event. The promoter feels after the end of the Multi-EM confirmed, and also from the media and politics, the Echo is predominantly positive. The concept is to continue and be further developed, and fixed as a “European games” is established. Whether the like the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the European Olympic Committee (EOC), the play with the so-called “Europe” is a direct competition held product, is more than questionable.
Competition, or a role model?
While the IOC and the EOC awarded the European games in autocratic States, in part, for ludicrous sums of money, and, in defiance of labor law and human rights gigantic area sites without connection concept (as well as Azerbaijan in the first edition in 2015) from the floor stomp, the European Championships is a counter-model for gigantism. May also be because one has learned from the mistakes of the Olympic games. Numerous applications for the Olympic games failed to last the will of the people, the vote in the referenda with “no”. Together, the counter-movements was always the worry that billions of spending for a sporting event, and additionally, arenas and infrastructure are not needed. “NOlympia” was of a small citizen movement for social consensus. So it was in Hamburg, Oslo, Innsbruck or Munich and Garmisch.
The most recent winter games went to South Korea the next summer games aligns Tokyo before Beijing will host the summer also the winter games of 2022 games in 2008. The IOC is currently a permanent guest in Asia. Higher, faster, further – this is certainly true in many Olympic disciplines. Applications and concepts seem to be this principle, but only in the booming Asian region to follow – a Region in which a new middle class in the Europe of the post-war period, in the Olympic concepts in the ongoing construction boom ends are (still) seemingly effortlessly implemented, no matter what the cost. This is not in many countries in Europe. Must be sustainable, a concept, or else by finding it in the people.
“NOlympia” – maybe not for always
The “no” to the Olympic bid of Hamburg made the 2015 final, and also Berlin withdrew his Olympic ambitions (for now) final. Now seems to be with the European Championships (EC) the next step in the direction of the “games of the future”. The Event was compact, took advantage of existing sports facilities, nevertheless offered exciting sports and: “The Budget is below two per cent for the Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo,” says Paul Bristow, one of the two initiators. The concept arouses interest: “About ten cities and regions” have shown interest in the technology, reported in Bristow, managing Director of the European Championships Management. Berlin and Hamburg are apparently.
The EC follow – consciously or unconsciously – the “NOlympia-spirit”. The competitions a go to to the concerns of the population. And that could have an impact on other sports events: “Theoretically, I believe that with the European Championships, the European games, the ground is dug,” says Clemens Prokop, former President of the German athletics Federation. This is the opinion of many parts are likely to, may also be in the EOC and IOC. However, instead of the new Player as a threat to exercise, you could also learn from it. The question is, what is the IOC with this realization begins. Wanted sustainable games ever?
Glasgow was the venue for the competitions in gymnastics, Cycling, swimming/water sports, Golf, rowing and Triathlon
“It is always wise to discuss ideas, concepts and share experiences. The success of the European Championships has been perceived in the sports world, and is sure to be used for future event formats discussed,” explains the Chairman of the sports Committee of the German Bundestag, Dagmar Friday at the request of the Deutsche Welle, and argues for a departure from the previous Olympic gigantism: “The European Championships have made use of existing sports facilities and therefore reasonable use. Of course, a future German Olympic would have to put the application on as many existing sports involve arenas – the experience of the last years show that the population is at least in democratic societies, to communicate.”
Decentralized structure, away from gigantism
The major organizational differences to Olympia had already been clear in advance. Away from gigantism, and astronomical costs, Use of existing infrastructure, avoidance of after the Games, unused arenas and competition venues. “Our model is to build, not expensive new buildings. We therefore have to search for intelligent solutions.” As it is formulated in the EC-co-founder and organizer, Marc Jörg, together with the British Paul Bristow has been the driving force behind the idea and implementation of the Multi-EM.
“The concept of multiple Championships together, but also on a decentralised basis, was an Experiment, that at the end of a lot of positive feedback from spectators, sporting associations and the media. The European Championships were a great success,” says Dagmar Friday and the model-potential for Olympic looks, but at the same time, significant Differences with respect to organization and challenges of the “Mini-Olympic” and the Original: “Whether the concept would be on an Olympic bid-transferable, should be analyzed, because there is still other dimensions,” said the SPD politician. However, the concept could provide the Basis for future games, which could then be again in this country is acceptable and employable. The decentralized games as games of the future.
At least from the remote host you want to move away but the most likely to be held the second edition in the year 2022, welfare and the European Championships in one place. Since the European athletics Championships in 2018 and had already been before the final EC-concept to Berlin forgiven, was at the Premiere, the implementation of two sites is essential. “We are only at the beginning. In the future, you can do much better,” says Marc Jörg.
Championships in 2022 Olympic test run in Berlin?
Doesn’t sound like it, as the organisers on the success and the praise of rest. And in fact, after the Premiere, of course, everywhere the need for optimization. Many of the athletes was missing in Glasgow, the Spirit of an Olympic village, some people do not have an Athlete in Berlin, noticed, of the competitions in Scotland’s largest city, with a lot of. However, the fakes not the fact that the European Championships could have been a real kick-start further development and optimization may lead this path very far.
The Berlin Olympic stadium is athletics-temple of Europe
The formula for the future could be: decentralized, Yes – but in a country. Existing infrastructure and sports venues to use, the distance between the competition venues, but as small as possible. Perhaps Berlin could have would be with the temple of the athletics and Hamburg, where, for example, a Tennis stadium and a stadium for football and co. in an Alliance but once the Olympic games to Germany. For the European Championships in 2022 in Berlin is the Olympic stadium, already as a Prime candidate. Clemens Prokop brought the German capital right after the end of the games as host for 2022 into the game.
Can Olympic to grow in a city?
“I have the impression that the question of cost is hardly a role, because the Public has a sense of when funds will be thrown out the window. This was not the case of the European Championships is obviously not the case, because smart has been planned and implemented effectively,” says Dagmar Friday of the DW. It’s all about.
May the Championships would be expanded in four years to some sports. In four years, the infrastructure, experience, acceptance could be grown to a successful conclusion of the “Mini-Olympic” much more:. Maybe Olympic can grow into a city, a Region or even a country. This requires transparency, new ideas, and time. And which is present in any case, Germany and Berlin, could not align the 2032 Olympic games.