Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics, announced in Budapest on Monday that Budapest will host the first World Athletics Ultimate Championship as an inaugural city in September 2026.
Budapest is certainly one of Sebastian Coe’s favourite cities, as the WA (formerly IAAF) president since 2015 was elected president of the World Athletics Federation for the third time last year in the Hungexpo Grand Hall.
For the third time in the last ten months, Lord Sebastian Coe, President of World Athletics, the world governing body of athletics, has visited Budapest. The British legend, the only two-time Olympic 1500 champion in the history of sport, made a historic announcement in the Hungarian capital on Monday.
Budapest will welcome nearly 400 of the world’s top athletes from around 70 countries at the groundbreaking new global championship event, he said.
By launching the ultimate championship, WA aimed to organise a global athletics event that is watched around the world every two years between world championships, he said.
Budapest has been selected to be the inaugural city of the event after it hosted the most successful World Athletics Championships in history last year, Coe said.
World Athletics announces new global championship to conclude the 2026 track and field season.
US$10 million prize pot – the highest in track and field history.
The aim is twofold, in addition to increasing the sport’s popularity: on the one hand, to enable the riders to benefit from the WA’s income and, on the other, to prolong their careers.
The top 16 in the world rankings in the running events and the top 8 in the skill events will be eligible to compete, with semi-finals and finals. The World Athletics Ultimate Championship offering a total prize of 10 million dollars will be held between Sept 11-13, 2026.
Every year, there are several major sporting events that draw international attention. Whether it is the World Cup, Olympic Games, Champions League Final, or the Super Bowl, these events are enjoyed by millions around the world, screened on countless televisions, and covered with odds and gambling favourites on all the best betting sites. This year, one of those major events will be held in Hungary.
Hungary will be hosting the World Athletics Championships, a spectacular event that will draw the attention of the global community. It will feature sports performed at the highest levels, with renowned athletes in a variety of sports competing to make history and make their nations proud. There is much to know about this event, so let’s dive into the details of the World Athletics Championships.
Date and Location
The 2023 World Athletic Championships will be held from August 19th, 2023, to August 27th, 2023. The games will take place in Budapest at the National Athletics Centre, a large venue that was built specifically for the purpose of this competition.
What is the World Athletics Championships?
The World Athletics Championship is a tournament that is held every two years. It takes place at different locations around the world. It first began in 1983 and has become considered the top level of competition for men’s and women’s track and field. The winners at these events are considered the reigning world champions, so it brings out the best of the best in a variety of different sports.
The events that are held at the World Athletics Championship are similar to what one would expect to see at the Olympics. Field events like discus, shot put, and javelin throw, as well as track events like the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 400 metres, are just some of the numerous competitions that will be held at the World Athletics Championship.
The World Athletics Championships will be available to watch on several different channels. Viewers in the United States will watch the games on NBC Sports. For Europe and Africa, the events will be showcased on Eurovision Sport and ESPN. Streaming channel Discovery+ will stream the events live in many locations across Europe.
This event will be the first time that Hungary has hosted the World Athletics Championships. In 2007, Budapest was one of the host cities that were under consideration for hosting the event but eventually withdrew, and Osaka was selected instead. It will be a great showcase for the city and country, which will bring in a large number of visitors to take in the events. It is expected that Hungarian President Katalin Novak will open the ceremonies when everything gets started midway through August.
There will be a substantial number of countries represented in the proceedings. One hundred four different nations have won medals at the World Athletics Championships over the course of its history. The leading nations are the United States, Kenya, Russia, and Germany. Hungary ranks 75th, having achieved seven silver medals and seven bronze medals, although they have never won a gold.
There are many famous athletes who have made their mark at this tournament. Usain Bolt won 11 gold medals at the World Athletic Championships, making him the most decorated activity in the history of the games. Mo Farah, the British distance runner, has won six golds and two silvers. Famous female athletes who have performed well at these games include Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Allyson Felix.
The 2023 World Athletics Championships will be a massive spectacle that will bring the world’s attention to Hungary and the many athletes who will perform there. At a brand new venue with the greatest track and field stars in the world going at it, it should be an unforgettable occasion.
Another significant milestone before the World Championship in Hungary. A brand new running track is now open for the athletes at the National Athletics Centre.
A significant sports event in Hungary’s history will be held in just two months. The Athletics World Championship is held between 19 and 27 of August. As Magyar Építők reported, the racetrack was unveiled on the 26th of April 2023. Later in May, a technical demonstration of the sound and lighting was showcased as well. The inauguration of the world-class track by Sebastian Coe, President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), happened on the 16th of June 2023. This means a new milestone for this international project. The project was realised by ZÁÉV Plc and Magyar Építő Plc.
The National Athletics Centre
The track has nine lanes and a Mondo surface, which makes it extremely fast. The track’s uniqueness lies in its asymmetrical surface, which will allow the spectators to get a better view of both the running and the jumping events. Sebastian Coe is content with the work done. According to him, the builders did an incredible job. Thus the 2000 contestants from 200 different countries will have outstanding performances. The facility was designed for 35 thousand spectators. The stand will be dismantled after Hungary‘s biggest sports event. It will be replaced with a running circle which will be one of the most beautiful ones in all of Europe. Thus, sports lovers and professional athletes can both enjoy the new running circle.
The inauguration
During the inauguration, Sebastian Coe said that athletes are inarguably in good shape and will have amazing achievements. The two-time Olympic champion Coe and the young athletes of Bp. Honvéd and Gödöllői EAC did the honours of running the first-ever circle on the newly opened track.
The Crown of the Queen of Sports
The track was named “The Crown of the Queen of Sports”. Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, minister of defence of Hungary, called the new National Athletics Centre a “wonder”. In addition to that, he emphasised that there is a great development in athletics, which is supported by this facility with its innovations. Sebastian Coe highlighted that women’s 10,000m final is taking place on the first day. Hence, spectators can expect an outstanding performance from Sifan Hassan and Letesenbet Gidey on this day. On the second day, spectators can watch the men’s 100m flat final. Later, Coe thanked the Hungarian government and the capital for their support. He also said:
“We hope that very enthusiastic fans will come out to the World Championships to support the athletes. Let’s not forget that five of Hungary’s ten Olympic champions in athletics have won the hammer throw, an event that will also take place at the start of the World Championships.”
Youhuu the racka sheep will be the mascot of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. At the National Athletics Centre, the international federation is holding an inspection ahead of the World Championships, which start on 19 August.
In 100 days’ time, one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious sporting events, the World Athletics Championships, will begin. The World Championships, which kick off on 19 August, will be held in Budapest. According to Ádám Schmidt, the Hungarian State Secretary for Sport, the organisation of the event is in the home straight. The aim is to organise the best World Championships ever.
Balázs Németh, the CEO, said that 3 billion people will have the opportunity to tune in to the broadcasts, and one billion will almost certainly watch around the world. 203 countries have entered so far, and they aim to sell 400,000 tickets.
According to Miklós Gyulai, president of the Hungarian federation, 45-50 Hungarianathletes can be expected to participate, telex.hu reports.
The mascot of the event, a racka sheep named Youhuu, was also introduced. This animal is native to the Carpathian Basin, including Csepel Island, which will host the event.
“Lovable, unique and proud to be Hungarian, it has everything we want to say. Let’s all be Youhuuk, everyday heroes,” rtl.hu quotes Balázs Németh as saying.
Budapest 2023 unveils its World Athletics Champs mascot – a Racka sheep called “Youhuu”. 🐑 pic.twitter.com/TCE0lA03FA
European Athletics representatives recently visited the cities of Budapest and Birmingham after the Hungarian Athletics Association (Magyar Atlétikai Szövetség) and UK Athletics had been confirmed as the two bidding Member Federations looking to host the 2026 European Athletics Championships, the European Athletics Association (EAA) said on Monday.
“We have two excellent candidates for the 2026 European Athletics Championships, with both potential Local Organising Committees having great experience staging major outdoor athletics events. They also have excellent stadia and either one of them would make an excellent host,” said European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov.
“Birmingham will stage the 2022 Commonwealth Games and Budapest will be the host of the 2023 World Athletics Championships and so by 2026 they will be able to draw on these experiences. In the past, these cities have also staged outstanding global and continental events and they both have a great legacy in this respect,” added Karamarinov.
“European Athletics would also like to confirm, following a recent European Athletics Council decision, that the 2026 European Athletics Championships will be organised as a stand-alone event like that in Rome in two years time,” commented European Athletics CEO Christian Milz.
“The involvement and cooperation with the host member federation is especially important for European Athletics at our major events and we believe being independent, as the European Athletics Championships were until 2016, will strengthen this relationship as well as help create a special athletics experience for the competitors, athletics fans, and every other stakeholder in our sport, such as commercial partners, and provide enhanced international visibility and profile,” added Milz.
Budapest was the first of the two 2026 candidates to receive European Athletics representatives and was visited on 7-8 June, followed immediately by the delegation visiting Birmingham on 9-10 June.
A decision about which city will stage 2026 European Athletics Championships will be made by the European Athletics Council in November 2022.
As we wrote before, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe visited Hungary’s National Athletics Centre, under construction in the south of the capital, read details HERE.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with World Athletics President Sebastian Coe in Budapest on Sunday, the PM’s press chief said.
Orbán and Coe, who is in Budapest for the World Aquatics Championships, discussed preparations for the 2023 World Athletics Championships, which Budapest will host, Bertalan Havasi said.
The athletics worlds, slated for August 19-27, 2023, is the third-largest sporting event in the world. Athletes from more than 200 countries will participate at the contest which will be followed by over one billion people around the world.
Orbán and Coe established that the event’s organisation was progressing on schedule.
Katinka Hosszú is noticing how her life priorities are changing. She is a bit tired of being a competitive athlete and wants to show the real Katinka. The real woman behind the Iron Lady image. Among other subjects, Hosszú gave an interview about her newly opened restaurant. Read below to find out more!
In addition to her journey to healthy eating and her new restaurant Koool, the three-time Olympic, nine-time world and 15-time European champion swimmer spoke to Forbes.hu. She talks about her movie, the Duna Arena affair, image change, laziness, retirement and having children.
Katinka Hosszú and her fiancé, Máté Layber-Gelencsér, officially opened their restaurant in the capital on Thursday, 9 June. The Koool superfood restaurant has several goals. It wants to show that healthy, nutritious, allergen-, gluten-, dairy- and sugar-free meals can be exciting, delicious and affordable, reports Roadster.hu.
Koool is a place where people with a variety of food allergies don’t have to think for a second about what to order, as all dishes are “free-from.” Most importantly, there is no difference in taste, so even a companion can feel at home.
Takeaway meals are also available to provide a whole week’s lunch menu for those who want to eat healthier as a lifestyle. Even if you don’t have time to visit the cosy Szent István körút bistro – which has a swimming pool-like interior – every day, you can order daily or pre-order within weeks and get a selection of dishes made from selected ingredients.
The restaurant’s chef is Kitti Móricz, who was originally asked by Katinka Hosszú to prepare her diet. The healthy menus they designed together inspired the opening of Koool. The restaurant aims to offer healthy meals with a variety of flavours, readily available. The service is not only for athletes but also for people with a busy lifestyle.
Hosszú’s decision
Source: FB
“Eating consciously and healthily is something of an occupational hazard for me. I have to watch what I eat during all my preparations for competitions. This is why I have gained a lot of experience in this area. I find that we underestimate the adage that “you are what you eat”.
“It’s not only in elite sports that a balanced diet matters because nutrition affects our immune system, our daily performance and even our mental state and psyche. That’s why I don’t compromise on taste or the quality of ingredients in my meals. This is the approach I would like to pass on and make available to everyone,” said Katinka Hosszú at a recent press event.
It cost HUF 24 billion (EUR 67.6 million) and has 6,200 seats: this is the new handball hall in Tatabánya. The sports arena was inaugurated on Wednesday. The hall is the backup venue for the 2022 European Men’s Handball Championship.
As Helló Magyar reported, at the ceremony, Máté Kocsis, the President of the Hungarian Handball Association, said that the arena in Tatabánya is the fourth-largest handball hall in Hungary. Only three halls are larger: the MVM Dome in Budapest, also built for the 2022 European Men’s Handball Championship, as well as the PICK Arena in Szeged and the renewed Főnix Arena.
The President added that the facility will be the new home of Grundfos Tatabánya KC, one of Hungary’s long-established clubs.
The fact that 40 players with Tatabánya connections have played in the national teams shows the importance of Grundfos Tatabánya KC.
Roland Juhász, the State Secretary for State Asset Management, pointed out that there are 6,200 seats in the almost 20,000-square-metre sports arena. The building has a 50/50 ratio of fixed and movable stands.
Apart from this, a separate part of the project is a fencing hall with a capacity of 20 fencing pistes.
The State Secretary added that the Government has provided an additional HUF 1.8 billion (EUR 5.1 million) for the equipment of the facility. And, on top of that, the maintenance of the institution will also be financed from public funds.
The main users of the multi-purpose hall are local and regional sportspeople.
The Tatabánya Sports Club is one of the five priority sports clubs in the region. It will receive HUF 300 million (EUR 845,000) a year for five years to provide training for young athletes in athletics, wrestling, judo, boxing, and fencing.
As the municipality of Budapest is not a signatory to the agreement on the capital city’s hosting the World Athletics Championships in 2023, it has no competence in taking decisions concerning the event, the Hungarian Athletics Federation (MASZ) said on Tuesday.
In its statement, MASZ said that “only a member of the international athletics federation is entitled to submit a bid for hosting a championships”.
“Accordingly, it was MASZ that applied for and won the right to organise the 2023 World Athletics Championships with the support of the Hungarian government,” the federation said, adding that the government had guaranteed covering the costs of organisation.
“Since the municipality of Budapest will not participate in organising the 2023 championships, it is not a contracting party, and as such does not have any tasks or any expenses to cover in connection with the event,” MASZ said.
According to olympics.com, leaping into record books on debut Paralympics… Luca Ekler becomes Hungary’s first woman to win a Paralympic athletics gold medal after she breaks her world record twice in long jump T38 in the Olympic Stadium on Day 7 at Tokyo 2020.
Luca Ekler has become the first woman from Hungary to win a Paralympics athletic gold medal after breaking her own world record twice in the T38 high jump on Day 7 at Tokyo 2020.
From her opening jump, the world and three-time European champion made her intentions clear with a record-breaking leap of 5.60m. By her third attempt she had stretched this to 5.63m, and after that there was no looking back for her at the Olympic Stadium.
“It’s a dream come true. I can’t find any words to express myself. I am incredibly happy. It was my biggest win,” said Ekler. “I wanted to beat my world record and when I did it the first time, I was like, ‘oh my God’, I really did this.”
On being the first Hungarian woman to win a Paralympic athletics gold medal, she added:
“I have an amazing team, they have supported me during the whole competition and I am so thankful for them. I am really glad that my gold is the first important one.”
The win was also a dream start to Ekler’s Paralympic career.
The 22-year-old, who was making her debut, cheered with delight at the end of the competition after beating off a formidable field.
Her nearest rival was London 2012 Paralympic champion and six-time world champion, Margarita Goncharova from the Russian Paralympic Committee. The 30-year-old’s best jump was 5.29m to claim silver. Great Britain’s two-time world champion, Olivia Breen, claimed bronze in 4.91m.
Ekler, who came fourth in the 100m T38, will be back in the Olympic Stadium on Friday, 3 September, to compete in the 400m T38. The European champion in the event said:
“Now I will have a little rest and after that I have to train for the 400m because I have a third event left. The stadium is so beautiful and I was happy the whole time during the competitions. I want to enjoy every moment.”
Hungary is a country with a rich and diverse culture that mixes its own distinctive folk traditions with influences from abroad and modern technology. Music, literary works, ceramics, embroidery, and other arts are big in the country.
The Hungarian culture also shines through in its architecture and cuisine, which, while sharing similarities to neighbouring European nations, has many unique distinctions that make it stand out.
One thing that Hungary shares with many other countries is its love for sport. Of course, the most popular one is football, but you won’t have to search far to find fans of athletics, table tennis, golf, and kayaking. Here’s a closer look at the types of sport you can expect to find when in Hungary.
Football
Like in many countries in Europe, football is by far the biggest and most popular sport in Hungary. At an international level, the nation has finished as runners up in the FIFA World Cup on two occasions, the first in 1938 and the second in 1954. Their highest finish in the European Championship was third place in 1964. Hungary’s biggest success has come in the football events in the Summer Olympic Games, winning three gold medals, a silver, and a bronze.
Domestically, Hungary operates a pyramid-shaped league system that’s found in most of Europe. At the top, is the Nemzeti Bajnokság I (National Championship 1) which is currently known as the OTP Bank Liga thanks to a sponsorship deal with the financial institution. It contains 12 teams and is currently ranked 29th by UEFA, ahead of other big footballing nations like Poland.
While Hungary has a lot of homegrown talent competing in Nemzeti Bajnokság I, many talented players head abroad to compete in leagues like the English Premier League, Serie A, and Bundesliga. For example, Ákos Ónodi is a goalkeeper for Aston Villa, while Dominik Szoboszlai is a midfielder for RB Leipzig.
Esports
Esports are a relative newcomer to the global sporting landscape, with most people only paying attention to them in the last couple of years. These are competitions that pit individuals or teams of video game players against each other in titles like Call of Duty, Formula 1, Hearthstone, and Fortnite. Like other sports, events are shown on TV and online streams, athletes have become celebrities, and the winners receive prize money that’s regularly in the hundreds of millions of dollars. With more people watching esports each year, these prizes are likely to keep growing too.
Being a country with a love of friendly competition and new technologies, Hungarians have been quick to get involved in esports. An NGO called E-sportmilla was founded in 2013 with the intention of getting one million Hungarians into esports. The organization is making steady progress, with around 200,000 currently taking part in competitions.
Motorsport
Hungary was the first country within the former Eastern Bloc nations to welcome the Formula 1 paddock for a Grand Prix. The Hungaroring was constructed in Mogyoród, just outside of Budapest in 1985, with the first race taking place the following year. With construction lasting just eight months, it remains the fastest-constructed Formula One circuit in history.
Around 100,000 spectators cram into the circuit’s grounds each year to watch the biggest names in motorsport battle for position on the tight and twist racetrack. In the absence of a Polish Grand Prix, many Poles treat the races as a de facto home race when Polish drivers are competing in the championship. This often adds around 25,000 extra spectators.
The circuit has hosted numerous other events over the years, including the World Touring Car Championship, the European Truck Racing Championship, and the DTM. MotoGP is also planning to begin a race in Hungary, though it will race on a specially constructed circuit in Hortobágy.
Photo: Unsplash
Athletics
Hungarians have proven to be very successful in athletics competitions. Despite having a population just below 10 million people, the country has held its own in the Olympics. In the list of most medals won, Hungary ranks 10th, with a total of 491 top-three positions during the Summer Games, behind much bigger nations like China, France, Great Britain, and the United States. When you factor in population size, Hungary ranks second for Olympic gold medals per capita, behind only Finland.
Hungarians have been most successful at fencing, swimming, canoeing, wrestling, and gymnastics. The country also ranks number one in the modern pentathlon and water polo. Part of its success in this area comes from the interest Hungarians take in these sports. Kayaking and other aquatic sports are popular recreational activities and you’ll often find Hungarians spending time on the country’s rivers and lakes.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on Tuesday met Tamayo Murakawa, Japan’s minister in charge of the Olympics.
In a video posted on Facebook on Tuesday after the meeting in Japan, Szijjártó said preparations for the Olympics were now more complex than ever, adding the world was “rooting” for its success.
“There are 136 days until what will hopefully be the opening ceremony,” he said.
Preparations for the participation of Hungarian athletes have been made and the embassy’s staff will be increased during the Games, he said. Six Japanese cities will be hosting Hungarian athletes in the run-up to the event, and Hungarian sportspeople in eleven sports will train in-situ, he said.
“It’s certain that athletes … will have very serious testing obligations,” he said, though current rules state that athletes will not be required to be vaccinated. Hungarian athletes, he noted, would be vaccinated, however.
Athletes, the minister said, will follow strict rules, including the routes they take in the city.
A key question is whether spectators will be allowed and, if so, whether foreign spectators will be able to attend events,
Szijjártó said. The relevant decision is expected to be made sometime this month, while a decision on the density of spectators in various sports facilities will be made in April, he added.
A decision on whether international spectators will be allowed to attend the Tokyo Olympics Games this summer will be taken by the end of March, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Monday.
The government will provide more than 545 million euros (HUF 200 billion) for the construction of the national athletics stadium.
In addition to the stadium, the investment includes the construction of a pedestrian and bicycle bridge, as well as other related facilities and infrastructure, and the landscaping of the area, writes vg.
According to the plans, the stadium will be taken down after the sporting event and opened to the general public.
The investment includes:
Construction of a 40,000-seat sports facility;
Construction of a 168.8-metre-long steel bridge;
Construction of a public building with a gross floor area of 75,300 square metres;
Growing grass on 61,970 square metres;
Planting a minimum of 359 deciduous trees;
Construction of 380 metres of railway platform;
Construction of a pedestrian bridge;
Construction of a 1,000-metre-long flood protection line.
In the decision, the government calls on the minister without portfolio responsible for the management of national assets to ensure the availability of a portion of the investment costs for 2022-2024, with the involvement of the Minister of Finance.
However, the completion of the stadium is still uncertain.
The Curia has once again validated the referendum initiative on whether to build an athletics stadium.
Last October, the Curia had once decided to hold a referendum on the issue, but the initator did not start collecting signatures at the time. The question was originally submitted by Dániel Kassai, a former LMP politician, in 2019.
According to the National Electoral Commission (Nemzeti Választási Bizottság- NVB), the issue did not meet the requirement of voter clarity. Namely, the designation of the settlement included a topographical number, which is not clear for a significant part of the voters. Although the problem was solved, Dániel Kassai did not take over the signature collection sheets. However, in June, he resubmitted the initiative to the NVB. The NVB refused the authentication again, which was re-authenticated by the Curia. Thus, it is possible that the future of the athletics stadium will be decided by the voters. In a recent similar initiative, the Government backed down from the organisation of the Olympics.
Reigning world 800m champion Donavan Brazier will attempt the rarely-contested 600m distance for the first time outdoors on Wednesday when the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting moves to Székesfehérvár, Hungary.
“It’s great that we get an opportunity to do a 600m. Once you get to the global stage like this it’s hard to get competitions like this,” the American runner told World Athletics’ official website.
Fresh from a Monaco Diamond League victory over his specialist distance as international athletics returned last week after a long hiatus brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazier’s good form makes him hopeful of challenging the 1:12.81 world 600m record set by his former coach Johnny Gray.
Although the 23-year-old noted that he “didn’t really think about the record at all,” he admitted a fast result could be expected with a strong rival in Wesley Vazquez of Puerto Rico.
“I think with Wesley in there it will definitely be a great race,” he said. “The race will go out plenty fast. The race will take care of itself with the guys in the field.
“But before a race I just think about winning every time. But with Wesley in there, it’s definitely a good opportunity to run fast.”
Brazier finished the indoor 600m in 1:13.77 in 2019, making him among the 10 runners with a sub-1:14 performance.
International athletics season will finally start in August in Turku, Finland.
Continental Tour Gold meetings, the top tier of the world’s best one-day competitions outside the Diamond League, will be held throughout August and September.
According to World Athletics, the Turku stop of its inaugural Continental Tour Gold meetings will be held on August 11, after the COVID-19 pandemic forced postponement and cancellation of global sports events in the first half of the year.
The series is scheduled to include stops in eight countries in total, including Hungary (Székesfehérvár, 19 Aug), Japan (Tokyo, 23 Aug), Poland (Silesia, 6 Sep), Czech Republic (Ostrava, 8 Sep), Croatia (Zagreb, 15 Sep), Kenya (Nairobi, 26 Sep) before going to the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing.
World athlete of the year Dalilah Muhammad is one of four world champions set to compete at the Gyulai Memorial in Székesfehérvár. World and Olympic triple jump champion Christian Taylor, world 400m champion Steven Gardiner and four-time world hammer champion Pawel Fajdek are also on the bill.
The world athletics governing body also updated its calender, confirming Athens Authentic Marathon on November 7-8.
A new date was set for the Paris Marathon on November 15, while the Chicago and Toronto Marathon, both scheduled for October, were canceled due to public health concerns.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) decided on Monday the 9th of December to exclude Russia from international sports competitions for four years. So, it will not be able to be present as a country at the Tokyo Summer Games (2020) and the Beijing Winter Games (2022), as well as the Football World Cup in 2022.
This means that the Russian flag and anthem will not appear in these events. However, it will be possible for athletes from this country to participate, as has happened previously in World Cups and Olympics, under a neutral flag, as long as they demonstrate that they have never been subject to doping.
Here are some of the main questions and answers on Russia’s future in the sports world.
Does this mean that no Russian teams or individual athletes will attend the Olympic Games or the World Games?
No. National teams and athletes who prove to be clean may participate in these events. The anthem will not be played and they will not have their flag. They will be independent athletes and teams that will not be representing Russia. That is the policy that the International Olympic Committee wants to follow, as it did for the Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympic Games. And all the International Federations, private entities, have signed the agreement following the rules that are dictated from the organism that Thomas Bach presides for world events. In addition, the Russian Olympic Committee, which is the entity that invites its athletes to the Olympic Games, and which is an autonomous body like all national Olympic bodies, is not mentioned at any time in the WADA report.
Will the Euro 2020 change venue from St Petersburg?
No, the sanction proposed by the World Anti-Doping Agency speaks of sanctions at universal sports events, and the Euro 2020 is not one of them.
Russia will play the competition under the same conditions as other countries, with anthem and flag, because it is a continental competition.
Why is WADA Vice President Linda Helleland calling for tougher sanctions than President Craig Reedie?
There have been two currents in the WADA for a long time. The strictest is embodied by Norwegian Minister for Children and Equality, Helleland, who tried unsuccessfully to succeed Reedie. The latter leaves office at the end of the year in favour of Polish Sports Minister, Witold Banka. Her confrontation in the Russian case has been out in the open from the start. She has never communed with Reedie’s more liberal approach.
The Scot believes no clean athlete, regardless of the country of origin, can be refused participation in the Olympic Games.
Can Russia organise World Cups or Olympic Games while the sanction lasts?
No. Russia will not be able to organise any sports event considered universal in the next four years. Among others, it has been awarded the 2021 Beach Football World Cup and the 2023 Ice Hockey World Cup, which should theoretically change venue.
Will the Russian medals be counted in the global medal ranking in the Tokyo Olympics?
In reality, the International Olympic Committee does not recognise the global medal ranking in Olympic competitions. It is something created in parallel to see in perspective the strength of each country to each sport. Therefore, this table will continue to contemplate the successes of Russian athletes in a unified way and without their flag because it has no official status.
Is the sanction appealable?
The Russian authorities have 21 days to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, a body that has rarely proved the plaintiffs right in doping cases.
Russia will appeal, as confirmed by president Putin. It will be interesting to know many issues have occurred in recent months. The new Russian Olympic Committee does not have access to data or samples from its Anti-Doping Agency. The latter also being an independent body. And some false evidence has been brought in from within the country, without yet clarifying the reasons that led those responsible to do so.
A government decree codifying those conditions will be drafted before December 31, the head of the Prime Minister’s office said after a meeting of the Budapest Public Development Council.
Speaking at a press conference, Gergely Gulyás said that the central government and Budapest’s new leadership could reach consensus on health-care related development projects in Budapest.
Addressing the same press conference, Gergely Karácsony, the new mayor of Budapest, called it a major success for the city’s residents that the projects to be built in connection with the championships would be backed by a majority and would serve all sports-loving people.
As regards the construction of a superhospital in southern Buda, no consensus was reached, as the municipality disagreed with the sites proposed by the central government, they said.
Concerning the construction of a new bridge in southern Budapest and a revamp of Chain Bridge, the sides moved closer towards a consensus, but further talks would be necessary.
The gap between their views on the completion of the Liget museum quarter in the City Park has not narrowed.
