Munich 2022.
This was an extraordinary charge. The confluence of several European Championships held in Munich in the past few days (11-21 August 2022) has been a veritable harvest of sporting experiences. Memories of last year's Summer Olympics came alive. Athletics provided the main course. But the other eight championships were certainly not in the position of starters in the eleven-day menu. All in all, this was Europe's biggest global sporting event in fifty years, and the Bavarian capital pulled it off perfectly in every respect. Munich's multi-sport event historically follows the seven-sport event in Glasgow, Scotland (2018). In the intervening period, several other sports have been reshuffled, replaced and accepted. The result is a combination of nine strong individual sports, which should guarantee a high attractiveness, especially for television broadcasting. 3500 hours of airtime on Czech television, unevenly distributed, gives visible priority to athletics, sport climbing and rowing. Probably because of the hopes for success and the so-called "Czech footprint". Triathlon, table tennis and gymnastics remain somewhat in the shadows. The main attractions were clearly the medalists in athletics Tomáš Staněk, Jakub Vadlejch and Barbora Špotáková, climber Adam Ondra (gold, silver and bronze) and canoeist Martin Fuksa (gold and silver). What is the future of the whole concept? As measured by the enthusiastic commentary of reporters Michal Dusik, Tomáš Klement and Žaneta Peřinová from the Munich Olympic Stadium, considerable and bright. The optimism is somewhat tempered by the overall cost of such a mammoth undertaking, and also by the somewhat shaky European finances, which are breathing a frontal defence against a likely crisis or recession. It is a difficult situation, because after two years of a significant reduction in active sporting activity due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is necessary to stimulate interest in exercise and healthy living, especially among the younger generation. And they need examples and role models to reboot themselves. Personal identification with successful athletes, climbers, paddlers, bikers, table tennis players or gymnasts is a logical instrument.
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