United Towards a Home European Championships in 2034
Swiss Athletics and Weltklasse Zürich are jointly pursuing a bid to host the 2034 European Athletics Championships in Zurich. During the European Athletics Convention in Lausanne, Swiss Athletics President Christoph Seiler reaffirmed Switzerland's interest in staging the continental athletics championships, preferably as part of a multi-sport event alongside other disciplines.
As part of the European Championships 2030 project, Swiss Athletics had already submitted a bid to host the 2030 European Athletics Championships in Zurich. However, following the Federal Council's decision not to provide financial support for the European Championships 2030, Swiss Athletics was obliged to withdraw its candidacy from European Athletics in June.
Nevertheless, the ambition to host a European Athletics Championships at Zurich's Letzigrund Stadium remains firmly in place. The target is now to stage the event in 2034. "The 2014 European Athletics Championships in Zurich marked the beginning of the current golden era of Swiss athletics. By hosting the event again 20 years later, we aim to provide new momentum for Swiss athletics and, ideally, for Swiss sport as a whole," says Christoph Seiler, President of Swiss Athletics. He adds: "Athletics enjoys a strong standing and a rich tradition in Switzerland, particularly in Zurich. We also possess world-class organisational expertise, as well as the experience and know-how required to celebrate athletics at the highest level."
Felix Frei, President of the supporting association of Weltklasse Zürich (VfG/ LCZ), highlights the legacy of a home European Championships: "Over recent years, Switzerland has developed into a true athletics nation, producing outstanding elite athletes while also fostering a thriving youth and grassroots movement. Zurich has played a significant role in this development. As one of the major stages of international athletics, Weltklasse Zürich has brought the world's best athletes to the city for decades and inspired broad audiences with our sport. We want to build on this legacy and open a new chapter for Swiss athletics with another home European Championships, creating fresh momentum both at elite level and across grassroots sport."
Integration into a Multi-Sport Event the Preferred Option
With the allocation of the 2034 Championships not expected before 2030 at the earliest, there is sufficient time to develop the bid and secure the necessary funding. At the same time, discussions are under way to determine whether the 2034 European Athletics Championships project in Zurich could be integrated into a broader multi-sport event featuring additional European championships held simultaneously across Switzerland. "I personally believe that a summer multi-sport event would be immensely valuable for Switzerland and for Swiss sport," says Christoph Seiler.
For Severin Moser, President of the European Championships 2030 Switzerland Association, the announcement by Swiss Athletics and Weltklasse Zürich sends an important signal regarding renewed efforts to bring a major summer multi-sport event to Switzerland: "The feedback from politics, business and sport has demonstrated that an event of this scale has real potential in Switzerland. Athletics is a key anchor sport in this context."
The association established to support the bid for the European Championships 2030 continues to pursue its goal of delivering a sustainable multi-sport event in Switzerland with a lasting impact on sport, society and the economy. The primary focus is now on a candidacy for 2034.
