The final aquatics competition schedule for the inaugural 2018 European Championships has been released, with 7 days of pool racing to take place at Tollcross International Swimming Centre. The competitive swimming portion is set to span Friday, August 3rd through Thursday, August 9th, with the open water events on Wednesday, August 8th, Thursday, August 9th, as well as Saturday, August 11th and Sunday, August 12th.
courtesy of Glasgow2018.com
The European Championships combines the existing, separated European Sporting Championships of athletics, aquatics, cycling, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon, while also introducing golf team championships. 2018 marks the first version where the individual sports’ championships, typically held independently, are combined in one multi-national, multi-sport event. The hope is that by combining the individual sports’ championships together, more interest will be generated in each sport than if they were held by themselves.
The newly re-branded championships is set to be held every 4 years, with 2018’s athletics portion held in Berlin and all other sports’ taking place in Glasgow. Slated to be broadcast through the European Broadcasting Union and their free to air broadcast partners, estimates put the projected TV audience of the 2018 European Championships at about 1.03 billion.
Co-chair Paolo Barelli, President of the Ligue Européenne de Natation (European Aquatics), said: “The sports programme in Glasgow will start with a number of qualifying rounds on Thursday 2 August before a packed weekend of sport on television starting on Friday 3 August. This optimised 10-day television program will create a fantastic viewing experience with audiences able to follow finals across the aquatic disciplines as well as the rest of the sporting line-up.”
Isn’t there a ‘European Games’ already? ?
I don’t know if it is a such good idea.