Seb Coe to Encourage strong regional competitions

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Seb Coe to Encourage Strong Regional Competitions

20 June, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria: Seb Coe has today called for a greater focus on creating and supporting strong regional competitions to enhance Member Federation development and create new opportunities for athletes.

Speaking from Bulgaria where Seb Coe is attending the European Athletics Team Championships 2^nd League, Coe also paid tribute to European Athletics which has recently agreed to provide a support package for a new competition to be organised by the Small States of Europe in the Olympic year, starting in 2016.

Seb Coe said:

“It is especially important for smaller nations and their athletes to have more opportunities to compete at international events given that they are often not able to field large teams at the Olympic Games or IAAF World Championships. By creating strong regional championships that cater for both major and developing athletics nations, you provide athletes with international level experience and a clear route map for top level competition outside of their own borders. This is a win-win for the athletes, their Member Federations and for growing interest in the sport in emerging nations.

“I very much endorse the recent news by European Athletics which is to provide support for a new competition to be organised by the Small States of Europe in the Olympic year, starting in 2016. This weekend we will see 47 teams compete in the European Team Championships across four different tiers, providing vital experience and focus, especially for smaller athletics nations. I certainly want to look at this model and see what more the IAAF can do to support and build stronger regional championships across all our Areas if I am elected IAAF President.”

(Editor’s note: Seb Coe and Sergey Bubka are running for IAAF President, which will be decided in August 2015. Much depends on how these elections turn out, and we hope that those who vote consider that with their votes in August.)

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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