20th European Athletics Championships 2010
The Athletics summer season is slowly getting up and running, and the first major meet is looming large in Barcelona. The European Championships get under way on the 26th of July and will last until the 1st of august, bringing with them the typical parade of glitterati, entertainment, and the small matter of some of the world’s leading athletes.
British interest is not negligible with some major players already strutting their stuff throughout the globe in preparation for this leading event. One to look out for particularly is on-form triple jumper Phillips Idowu who last week posted his best performance of the year at the Premio Brasil Caixa de Atletismo meet in Rio de Janeiro, a jump he will be looking to replicate in Barcelona. Controversial sprinter Dwain Chambers is also making waves, clocking 10.11 and finishing second in the same meet. Another medal hopeful is heptathlete Jessica Ennis. The current world-champion of the discipline is preparing to mount an assault on Denise Lewis’ national record and her positive dynamic was encapsulated in her recent high jump results, her best in over two years. Mo Farah, Britain’s 3000m indoor European champion will also hope his form translates to the open air of Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium, Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
There will also be other big names on show. Teddy Tamgho of France will be looking to usurp Idowu, and gave his campaign a great fillip with a leap at 17.63m, the world’s best performance of the year, last week. The female high jump is also an attraction with the star performer over the past couple of seasons, reigning Olympic and European Champion, Tia Hellebaut finally making her return to competition. Making only her first appearance since giving birth to her daughter in Madrid on the 2nd of July, her presence is sure to attract the crowds and add little-needed spice to the female high-jump event.
The Championships start on the 27th of July and are spread out over the subsequent six days. Motivated connoisseurs will make a point of attending the early morning events, but all the headline acts take place in the afternoon. Day 1 sees the final of the Women’s Shot Put at 7.35pm and the Men´s 10000m at 9.05pm, which will be interspersed by Phillips Idowu’s start to the competition at 8.20pm.
Day 2 will see a plethora of finals including the women’s 10000m at 9.05pm and the Men’s 100m. The latter is a particular crowd pleaser and expect Dwain Chambers to make an impact. The Decathlon, which consists of ten separate events, will run throughout the day and into the 29th which sees the last event but also the Men’s Triple Jump Final at 7.40pm and the Women’s 100m Final at 9.45pm.
Day 4 sees sprinters take centre stage again from 7.25 with the finals of the Men’s 200m, 110m hurdles, 400m and the Women’s 400m and 400m hurdles. The 30th also sees Jessica Ennis begin her quest for the Championship gold, with her first event, the 100m hurdles, at 11am.
The 100m and 400m relays, for both Men and Women, begin on Saturday morning, with qualifications beginning at 10.15am. The Heptathlon also runs throughout the day with the last event, the 800m, at 8.45pm. The men’s 5000m final closes out the day at 9.20pm.
The last day of competition, the 1st of August, begins with the morning’s only event, the men’s marathon at 10.05am. The evening will see drama galore, with the Men running their 4x100m relay at 7.35pm and the Women at 7.50pm. The 400m relays will mark the ending of the championships, with the Women running at 9.20pm and the Men at 9.55.