DNA PROGRAMME AT 2ND EUROPEAN GAMES APPROVED: 24 TEAMS AND 10 SETS OF MEDALS

APRIL 23 2019

The final make up of the teams that will fight for medals at the 2nd European Games in athletics have been determined. The competitions will be held in a different format - Dynamic New Athletics (DNA) - at Dinamo Stadium.

Teams from 24 countries have announced that they will participate in the competition. This includes hosts Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia (athletes who were cleared to compete by the International Association of Athletics Federations), Slovenia, Switzerland, Slovakia, Turkey, and Ukraine. In total, 504 athletes will take part in the competition.

The European Athletic Association (EA) has also approved changes to the competition programme at the 2nd European Games. The General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) supported the initiative to replace the trekathlon event, and instead decided to hold nine types of events (individual and relay) in which medals will be handed out. A 10th, additional set of medals will be awarded based on the overall result in the team competition. In this way, the best in athletics will be determined in 10 categories.

The DNA format envisages holding competitions between mixed participating teams, where all teams will be divided into groups, starting with the qualifying round (June 23). Teams will compete in the following nine disciplines:

1. 100m women

2. 100m men

3. 100m Hurdles women

4. 110m Hurdles men

5. Javelin Throw women

6. Long Jump women

7. High Jump men

8. 4 x 400m - Mixed Relay (2 women & 2 men)

9. The Hunt - Mixed Medley Relay (2 women & 2 men)

The winners and medallists of the individual disciplines and relay races will be determined based on the results of the first competition day (June 23) during the team qualifying round. Medal ceremonies for the best individual athletes in the nine disciplines will be held on June 24.

The team quarterfinals will be held on June 25, with the semifinals to take place on June 26. The final will determine the winners of the last set of medals, to be handed out on June 28.

The format of the team competition and how points are accumulated remains the same. The athletes who are the strongest in the individual disciplines will earn 12 points for their team. The runners-up will earn 10 points (and so forth, with each following place getting two points less).

After the athletics programme was confirmed with one more set of medals added, the number of total medals to be awarded at the 2nd European Games increased to 200, with around 4,000 athletes expected to take part in the multi-sports event.

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