European Athletics Championships Zürich 2014: One Year to Go!

One year from today, on 12 August 2014, the first starting gun will go off for the European Athletics Championships Zürich 2014. Championship CEO Patrick K. Magyar (50) talks about the to-do list for the remaining 365 day, and explains why the European Athletics Championships are the right platform to promote athletics in Switzerland.

Patrick Magyar, one year to go, before the European Athletics Championships Zürich 2014 will get underway at Letzigrund Stadium. How are the preparations for the event progressing?
Our preparations for the championships are in full swing. Our team, the Zürich 2014 local organising committee, currently includes 28 members, is working hard to stage an event that, for such a small country, is unique in its dimensions. All projects related to the championships are on track.

Does this mean that the competitions could start tomorrow?
No, not quite. We are facing challenges, logistical ones in particular, that we still have to work out solutions for. Two examples: We are working with 24 hotels. And our warm-up facilities Shilhölzli and Utogrund are located at some distance from Letzigrund Stadium. Both circumstances require most careful planning with regards to local transportation and procedures.

In addition, creating an interest for the championships, whetting people’s appetites for this once-in-a-lifetime event, is one of our core tasks.

What can visitors expect to see and experience at Zürich 2014?
The championships will be the largest international event at one single venue in the history of Switzerland. 1,400 athletes and 800 coaches and accompanying persons from 50 countries will travel to Zurich next August. 370 million viewers will be watching the competition on TV. We expect the stadium to be sold-out on all six days of competi-tion. Every day, 25,000 stadium spectators will be celebrating a peaceful and emotional sports festival. In addition to the competitions, there will be a number of activities and treats for visitors every day. We are proud to be able to organise these championships for Switzerland and for the international athletics community.

Which project or achievement makes you particularly proud?
There are two things: Cooly, our extremely cool mascot, which is touring Switzerland currently. I have met Cooly on multiple occasions, and I still smile every time I see this crazy cow interact with people. It’s quite a character.

And more importantly, I feel that we were able to unite the entire country behind the cause of Zürich 2014. There are several examples for this: Public authorities are very committed to support us. And we managed to recruit as many as 2,000 volunteers within a very short period of time. Volunteers are a vital aspect of an event of this magnitude. Finally, we feel very much supported by Swiss sports fans.

As Zürich 2014 CEO, you must be constantly monitoring your work, assessing your progress based on certain points of reference. Where do your preparations stand when comparing them to the experiences gained at previous European Athletics Championships?
Our primary reference is Barcelona 2010 which was the most recent edition of the European Athletics Championships with road races. We can certainly stand the comparison. At this time, we have sold 30,000 tickets – six times as many as had been sold in Barcelona at the same time four years ago. In addition, we have generated 2.5 times more income from sponsors than Barcelona had in the final statement of account.

Does Zürich 2014 have greater financial resources than the championships in Barcelona had in 2010?
No, that would be a misconception. Barcelona had received 20 million Swiss francs in public funds. We receive a basic amount of 10 million Swiss francs by the Swiss Confederation, the Canton, and the City of Zurich, and we are very grateful for this support. At the same time, we are responsible for more than two thirds of our budget of 35 million Swiss francs ourselves. The majority of our funds are being generated through ticket income and sponsor contributions.

There is one vital aspect for any unforgettable, successful sports event: local athletes. Will the athletes of the Swiss team be ready in August 2014?
Yes, they will. Athletics has experienced a boost in Switzerland recently, not least because of the upcoming championships. Swiss Athletics, our national federation, has a pool of talented athletes, who might not be quite up there with the world’s best athletes this year, but who will definitely be able to shine on a European level in 2014.

So far, as many as 19 Swiss athletes have qualified for the track and field events of the championships. In addition, there are nine marathon runners and two race walkers who will compete in the road races.
In 2008, Swiss Athletics and the Zürich 2014 promoters anticipated a team of 30 Swiss athletes for the championships. What may have sounded very ambitious then appears quite realistic now. When looking at this development and the figures we have so far, I am convinced that the European championships are an ideal format to promote athlet-ics in Switzerland in a sustainable manner.

A major event on home soil seems to help a new generation of young athletes to develop. Will Zürich 2014 have an impact on the future of Swiss athletics that goes beyond the championships?
Providing athletics in Switzerland with impulses for a sustainable development has been a main objective for the organising committee from the beginning. Therefore, the Zürich 2014 promoters, together with Weltklasse Zürich and Swiss Athletics have been organising the „UBS Kids Cup“, a project for children and young athletes. The championships have been an essential factor to make this project successful. The “UBS Kids Cup” is now in its third year, and has drawn more than 80,000 participants so far. 

Zürich 2014