The European Athletics Championships are returning to Jerusalem!

The Jerusalem Municipality and the Athletics Association, in the presence of the Mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Lion, signed an agreement yesterday (Wednesday) to host the European Under-20 Athletics Championships in 2023.

After hosting the under-18 championship last year, Jerusalem gets to host the more prestigious under-20 championship.

The European Championship up to the age of 20 will be held this year on 7-10/8/2023 and is a "sneak window" to the Paris 2024 Olympics. Many of the participants in the upcoming championship will take part in the upcoming Olympic Games.

Senior athletes from all over Europe will participate in the competition, and the competition is a means of accumulating an Olympic criterion for the upcoming games in Paris.

The signing ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Lion, the Director- General of the Municipality, Itzik Larry, the Deputy Mayor, Elisha Peleg, the Chairman of the Israel Athletics Association, Ami Baran, the Head of the International Department of the Athletics Association, Jacques Cohen, and the Deputy Director-General of the Municipality and Head of the Administration for Culture, Social Activities and Sport, Ariela Rajwan.

Jerusalem, which hosted the under-18 championship last year, gets to host the more prestigious championship again this year at the athletics stadium in Givat Ram. The stadium was renovated according to the most advanced standards and was rededicated in June 2022. The stadium underwent a thorough and extensive upgrading by the Jerusalem Municipality, through the Moriah company. The works included, among other things, the construction of a new covered tribune that includes approximately 3,600 seats, preparation and upgrading of the running track in order to bring it up to an international standard (class 2), management offices, dressing rooms, physical therapy and examination rooms and modern equipment warehouses.

The Mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Lion: "The sports boom in the city continues! I am happy to announce the hosting of the prestigious U-20 European Championship, which returns to us after hosting the U-18 Championship last year. Jerusalem is undergoing a revolution and establishing itself as the sports capital of Israel, and this in light of the success of the championship that was held last year in Jerusalem."

Deputy Mayor and holder of the sports portfolio, Elisha Peleg: "Jerusalem is coming back in a big way to host the European Athletics Championships again. This is a recognition of the professionalism and achievements of Israeli sports in the field of athletics. The mere existence of the competition in Jerusalem constitutes international recognition of Jerusalem as the sports capital, capable of holding high-level competitions, while creating infrastructure and facilities for athletics in the State of Israel to advance and succeed in competitions."

The Chairman of the Israel Athletics Association, Ami Baran: "The European Union once again has expressed confidence in the Athletics Association and the Jerusalem Municipality to hold the U-20 European Championships in Israel, and I am sure that we will host the 2023 European Championships in Jerusalem in the best possible way, and we will reach new records."