EYOF 2022 without triathlon, competitions in 10 sports in Banská Bystrica

The European Youth Olympic Festival 2022 in Banská Bystrica will finally welcome competitions in ten sports. Originally, eleven sports were planned but after examining the circumstances and all possibilities for the implementation of triathlon competitions in Banská Bystrica and the surrounding regions, the organising committee of the EYOF 2022 decided to exclude this sport from the program of the XVI summer edition of the top continental event for young people under 18. 

“The decision to drop the triathlon from the EYOF program was not easy and negotiations took place with each department of the organising committee involved. The health and safety of young Olympic hopes and visitors of this sport event and the inhabitants of Banská Bystrica is the most important for the EYOF organisers, and we therefore regret to announce that the triathlon will not be part of the EYOF Banská Bystrica 2022 program. We want to thank everyone who prepared the triathlon competition with us and we believe that in the future, this beautiful outdoor sport will be included in the EYOF program,” said Peter Hamaj, director of the European Olympic Festival 2022 in Banská Bystrica, after the meeting of the Management Board. The young athletes will compete from 24 to 30 July 2022 in athletics, badminton, basketball, road cycling, judo, handball, swimming, gymnastics, tennis and volleyball. 

Triathlon was included in the program of the European Youth Olympic Festival in Slovakia, which was originally to take place in Košice, as a premiere and optional sport. Following the decision to change the EYOF venue and move from Košice to Banská Bystrica, the organisers, in close cooperation with the Slovak Triathlon Union (STÚ), sought opportunities to maintain triathlon in the EYOF program despite unfavorable conditions for these multi-sport competitions in Banská Bystrica.

Despite the organisational complexity, when three sports are combined in one event – swimming in the lake, road cycling and running, and the original positive intention to organise a triathlon at the Aqualand beach swimming pool, the design of cycling routes encountered problems with limiting transport infrastructure in the city, which was also pointed out by the Regional Transport Inspectorate in Banská Bystrica and members of the EYOF 2022 Transport Commission. They rightly rejected the route proposal for excessive restriction of roads for the inhabitants of Banská Bystrica.

“Subsequent proposals, alternative options and attempts to change the cycling route have unfortunately encountered a number of safety and technical risks due to the traffic situation and the city’s transport solution. Among the most important is the insufficient opportunity to provide a track for athletes – triathletes in terms of maintaining safety and technical attributes for the international triathlon competition as a qualification for the European Games 2023.

Furthermore, the safety risk for EYOF Sport Park visitors caused by the inability to build adequate routes for pedestrian visitors, restrictions on access to the main health center and anti-doping center, which are key safety points in case of injury to athletes or visitors, restrictions on access to the most numerous sports venues such as athletics, judo or swimming for athletes and visitors, difficult access for badminton and tennis courts for athletes and visitors. In the availability of accommodation capacities EYOF 2022 there is no suitable sports ground suitable for swimming, cycling and running in one location so that it would have a significant impact on the organisation of the event, increase of costs or significantly reduced comfort for participants,”  explained Peter Hamaj.

The elimination of the triathlon from the EYOF Banská Bystrica 2022 program was approved by the EYOF Board of Directors at its meeting on Friday, and by the executive of the European Olympic Committees on Sunday.