A unifying and vibrant brand has been launched by the participating sports to promote the new European Championships which will be staged for the first time in Glasgow and Berlin in 2018.
A new golf team championship will be part of the multi-sport event for the first time, joining the existing European Championships of athletics, aquatics, cycling, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon.
The new European Championships logo was unveiled at an event in Glasgow, attended by Great Britain swimmer Ross Murdoch, who spoke of his “golden moment” when he won Commonwealth Games gold in the pool in 2014 in Glasgow and said he could not wait for the prospect of another chance to be a champion as part of a multi-sport event in front of a home crowd.
The dynamic Mark of a Champion is the star-like logo representing the vision at the heart of the multi-sport championships brand – to create a must-attend, must-watch experience that elevates the status of European Champions.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS GLASGOW 2018fromEuropean ChampionshipsonVimeo.
The inspiring shapes and colours of the logo - created in partnership by the sports, Host Cities Glasgow and Berlin and broadcast partner the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) - come together to represent the defining moments that create champions.
This new sporting partnership bringing together the seven sports will create a strong event on the world stage every four years, attracting a projected television audience of around 1.03 billion and an even wider audience via multiple digital and radio platforms.
Around 1,500 athletes will compete in Berlin through from August 7-12 as part of the European Athletics Championships, while approximately 3025 athletes will visit Scotland for the other six events August. 1-12
As part of the brand development process, the name of the event has been shortened from the previous working title of 'European Sports Championships' to the ‘European Championships'.
Each sport will also unveil their own event logos in the coming months, inspired by the Mark of a Champion.
Ross Murdoch said: “Every athlete wants to compete at the highest level and that is exactly what the European Championships is all about. “Multi-sport events bring out the best in athletes and also in the fans who love getting behind their nation. The moment I won gold at the Commonwealth Games will live with me forever.”
European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen, co-chair of the 2018 European Championships Board, said: “The launch of this impressive brand is the starting gun for a European Championships concept that will help elevate the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships to a scale we have never seen before. In Berlin we have a fantastic host city for our Championships, and in the German athletics federation, we have a committed partner who have produced a great generation of athletes. We are all committed to delivering the best-ever European Athletics Championships.”
Fellow co-chair Paolo Barelli, President of the Ligue Européenne de Natation (European Aquatics), said: “This brand encapsulates everything we want to see in 2018 which will be an inspiring and ambitious event that showcases the prestigious history of the European championships of all our sports and provides us with a fresh and dynamic stage on which to elevate our champions.”
Jamie Hepburn, Scottish Government Minister for Sport, said: “I’m delighted that the Scottish Government has been able to support the 2018 European Championships. This is a totally new concept in European sport, so it’s tremendous that we can be at the forefront of that, welcoming all these world class athletes to Glasgow, and other venues across Scotland. We have a growing reputation when it comes to hosting major events like this, and I’m sure the people of Scotland will embrace these championships as only they can.”
Councillor Frank McAveety, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “I am delighted that Glasgow’s vibrant personality shines through this new brand. We have worked together with these amazing sports to create something that reflects all of our values by embracing our ambition, our strength in unity and our ongoing journey to provide opportunities for all of our citizens through the power of sport and culture.”
Senator Frank Henkel, City of Berlin, said: “Berlin is very proud to be host of the 2018 European Athletics Championships. More than 1,500 athletes from 50 countries will be welcome to the famous Olympic Stadium in Berlin. Today we are really pleased to see the unveiling of the umbrella brand for the European Championships of which we are part. Our city is well underway in its preparations for the European Athletics Championships, and our own Berlin 2018 mark will be unveiled soon.”
For more information about the European Championships, visit the website at
http://www.europeansportschampionships.com
