A dummy's guide to the European Championships in Munich

The European Championships are kicking off in Munich tomorrow, here's all you need to know...

READY FOR TAKE-OFF: Signage representing the various sports hang from the roof inside the Olympiapark before the European Championships 2022 in Munich, Germany. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

IN A NUTSHELL 

What is it? The 2022 European Championships are being sold as a jamboree of nine separate continental championships, all at the same time and all of them in Munich. This is the second time a number of federations have co-ordinated like this. The first was in Glasgow (but with the athletics held in Berlin) in 2018.

So what sports are involved? Athletics will take top billing when it kicks off at the Olympiastadion on Sunday. Swimming, diving and team golf have left their slots vacant since last time but canoe sprint, table tennis, sport climbing and beach volleyball have all come on board. Cycling, canoe sprint, artistic gymnastics and rowing are all part of the bill again.

Is it a big deal then, or what? Well, 4,700 athletes from across 50 nations will be competing for the 177 medals on offer. Over 3,500 hours of TV coverage will beam into homes around the continent for what is being billed as the biggest sports event in Bavaria since the Olympic Games was hosted by the same city 50 years ago. So, yeah, pretty big.

What isn’t it? This is absolutely NOT the European Games which were the brainchild of Pat Hickey and had their first showing in Baku seven years ago. Another Euro Games followed in Minsk in 2019 and the third edition is due to be held in Krakow-Malopolska next year.

So, what’s the difference then? There's plenty actually but the main one is that these European Championships are not a new event suddenly stapled on to an already crowded sporting calendar. All nine championships being held in Germany this next eleven days have long histories stretching back decades.

What’s the Irish involvement? Ireland will be represented in five of the nine sports. A 35-strong athletics team makes for the biggest influx. They are joined by 16 gymnasts, as many cyclists (track and road), a 15-strong rowing contingent will be hunting more medals, while Jenny Egan will be seeking more success in canoe sprint.

Where can I watch it? Both RTÉ and the BBC will be providing extensive footage of the Championships with coverage spanning most of the waking day. Peter Collins will pilot things from Montrose while Jeanette Kwakye, Clare Balding and Gabby Logan will be plotting the route for Auntie.