European athletics championships due to take place every two years

Apr 14, 2007, 17:24 GMT

Cannes, France - The European athletics championships are due to take place every two years from 2012 onwards, the congress of the governing body EAA decided on Saturday.

The final decision depends upon talks with the European Broadcasting Union and the financial aspects to be looked into by the EAA council.

The EAA congress also unanimously re-elected Hansjoerg Wirz of Switzerland for a third term as EAA president. There was no other candidate for the job.

Up to now the continental event takes place every four years, with the next edition 2010 in Barcelona. The world championships changed from a four-year to a two-year format in the early 1990s.

The EAA said Saturday that under the new scheme the championships will remain in even years and in the years of Summer Olympics, such as 2012, will be held without the marathons and walking events.

In Olympic years the European championships are to take place early in summer at the same time as the US Olympic trials.

Athletes are to receive bonusses and there are plans to allow them competing with individual sponsor logos.

'We want to stregthen European athletics. The EAA also hopes to bebefit financially,' said German athletics federation president Clemens Prokop.