The
European Youth Olympic Festival, Belgrade, Serbia, July 21-28, 2007 - The
Swimming Sport Review
On Line from Belgrade, Serbia - dedicated to the swim audience
of the countries - participants of the European Youth Olympic Festival
2007... .....
July 28
, 2007 .
New
European Swim Stars are BORN...
In spite of the unexpected temperatures in the first two days of the swimming
competition at the EYOF 2007, amazing results were set at the Tasmajdan
pool. Just a day after the EYOF concluded, the best athletes have to be
mentioned. So, if we were to go back to compare results with those in the
previous EYOF, in women's 50-m freestyle all eight finalists in Belgrade
swam out better then the gold one in Lignano - Silvia Di Pietro (ITA)-26.23;
Silke Lippok (GER) -25.52; Eva Dobar (HUN)- 25.83... In another
discipline for instance, in the women's 400 Ind.Medley, the gold medal
was earned with 5:08.08 in Lignano 2005, while here in Belgrade, Aimee
Willmott (GB) swam out with the time of 4:56.69; Anna Yevchak (UKR)
- 4:57.57; Thomsen Emma (DEN) - 4:59.42, etc.
Having in mind the fact that almost all medalists at the EYOF 2007 could
have been the finalists at the recent European Junior Champs - Antwerp
2007 and knowing their years of birth, it is expected that the next 2008
European Junior Champs, being held in Belgrade, may host again all those
swim stars.
The most valuable results at the EYOF 2007 were set by Danila Izotov
(RUS) in men's 200m Free 1:51.03 (869 pts) and Sarah Sjostrom (SWE)
in women's 100 free 56.46 (875 pts). In total, 58 swimmers swam better
then the 800 FINA points in 28 events (both in men and women concurrences).
All these facts are really unbelievable and fantastic.
The closing ceremony of the EYOF was held tonight at the Belgrade's Arena
where the Olympic flame has been shining for last six days. Almost all
EYOF 2007 athletes and participants, officials, volunteers, sponsors, parents
and media came to see the last episode of the European Youth Olympic Festival
and to say goodbye to each other.
Medals received the fastest, the strongest and the smartest ones but everybody
will leave Belgrade and Serbia with wonderful experience and new friendships.
More then 3,000 athletes competed in last five days in 11 different sports.
As for swimming, the European scene is safe with the future generations
of these young swimmers led by Russian Danila Izotov (1991) and Swedish
girl Sarah Sjostrom (1993). Also, national teams of Italy, Germany, Great
Britain, and Russia confirmed strong top four positions among the European
swimming nations.
The closing ceremony ended with putting down the Olympic flame and consigning
the Olympic flag to the organizers of the 10th EYOF being held in Tampere,
Finland. In his greetings, Dr. Jacques Rogge, President of the International
Olympic Committee said: "Hvala Serbia" - Thanks Serbia, for the marvelous
organization of this event.
On the final day of the competition, more new national standards are set
by several participantants from Italy, Great Britain, Hungary, Poland and
Russia as well as many worth results by the swimmers from Ukraine, Israel
and Spain. The best EYOF 2007 swimmers are Danila Izotov (1991) from Russia
and Sarah Sjostrom (1993) - Sweden.
On the fourth day of the competition, new European swim stars are born.
In the women's 400 IM, Aimee Willmott from Great Britain swam out
with the worth time of 4:50.32 and picked up her second gold. Due to the
FINA scales, great advances and the EYOF gold medals were earned also by
Sergey
Ivanov from Russia in men's 200 Fly (2:01.97), Radicke Melanie
from Germany in women's 200 Free (2:04.23) and Krzysztof Pielowski
from Poland in men's 1,500 Free (15:43.55)...
EYOF
Day - 3 - pause in the swimming competition...
The third day of the swimming competition at the EYOF 2007 festival was
intended for rest and practice. Almost all national teams used their chance
to have a cool down practice before the last two days of the competition.
Also, a few teams went to the downtown of Belgrade for sightseeing. The
SWIM STAR WEB PORTAL team visited today the famous swim complex of the
Tasmajdan and had a chance to talk to coaches, to interview swimmers and
managers of the national teams of Russia, Spain, Italy, Ukraine, Croatia,
and Serbia. Luckily, after eight days of the abnormal tropical heat in
Belgrade (with the temp. above 45 C), today it was much comfortable and
"easier to breath" on 28-30 C. It was very surprising to see swimmers'
times unbelievably fast regardless of the air temperature at the pool.
As always, a few swimmers got bigger attention of the media than the rest
of the competitors: Danila Izotov (Russia), Aimee Willmott (Great
Britain), Sjostrom Sarah from Sweeden...
We were introduced with the British athletes and squad by the pool deck
and asked Mr. Paul du Feu, the manager of the British national team,
for his impressions of how well did his swimmers performed in the
first part and what he expects in next two days of the competition.
It has to be mentioned that the British Swimming sent to Belgrade an elite
squad of 16 young swimmers future candidates for the London 2012. The EYOF
event was, for instance, the first step where the great British swimmers
such as David Davies and Liam Tancock first came to prominence years ago.
Mladen Tepavcevic, the Serbian actual national record hodler in all
men's breastroke events (50-m 0:28.10; 100-m 1:02.60 and 200-m 2:22.54)
and the Olympian (part of the former SCG national team at Athens 2004,
and one of the already four confirmed Serbian participants for the upcoming
Olympic Games in Beijing, China ), at the present EYOF 2007 manifestation
took a serious role to support and help in the EYOF organization regarding
the swimming competition and other things required by the participants
of all teams.
As the third day of the EYOF 2007 was no competition day, at today's
training by the pool deck of the marvelous Tasmajdan swim complex, we have
found Mladen Tepavcevic making sure that the swimmers, coaches, and the
officials of Ukraine, Russia, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, Serbia and other
national teams have all the best conditions for the quality prectice.
SWIM STAR WEB PORTAL asked Mladen Tepavcevic for a short inteview, exclusively
for this EYOF-Special regarding the actualities at this multi-sport event
and future similar one that will be organized in Belgrade (in 2008 - the
European Junior Swim Championships and the Universiade in 2009)...
The second day of the competition brought more interesting duels in the
pool then the day before. Few races were finished with a score of 800 Fina
points and above. That is fantastic considering the years of birth of those
talented swimmers. Two athletes from Sweden have to be mentioned: Lagerqvist
Anton (91) and Sjostrom Sarah (93)...
The EYOF swimming competition has started today by the Tasmajdan swim center
(50 m outdoor Olympic pool). Here, at this web page, (day by day), all
our visitors will have the opportunity to follow the results, intersting
photos from the competition pool as well as the galleries of all the EYOF
2007 medalsts...
Marvelous
pictures from Belgrade - EYOF 2007 is opened...
The EYOF 2007 opening ceremony was held at the largest basketball arena
in the capital of Serbia - the Belgrade's Arena... More
then 10.000 visitors at the tribunes this evening had a great opportunity
to enjoy in the top show that involved the traditional musical, cultural
and sports signs from the host country, as well as the modern stylized
performance all arranged by Sonja Lapatanov, her group from the the "Lujo
Davico" Ballet School, Belgrade and Sanja Ilic, composer and music arranger.
Choose a link bellow and click on to see the special photo gallery of each
segment of the event .
The last bearer of the Olympic torch and the person who had the honor to
lit the Olympic flame at the Belgrade's Arena was Jasna Sekaric,
one of the most titled athletes of Serbia ever - three times consecutive
participant and the medalist at the Olympic Games (1996, 2000, 2004), many
times winner of the medals at the World, European, the Balkan sport competitions
and various international events in last 15 years (shooting - air pistol)...
Among 3,400 athletes and national delegates - the participants of the EYOF
2007, many guests and the EOC officials, the Presidency of the Olympic
Committee of Serbia, the EYOF 2007 Organizing Board and members of the
Government of Serbia, the IX European Youth Olympic Festival was
declared open by Snezana Samardzic-Markovic, Minister of Youth and Sport
of Serbia
Prior
to Opening ceremony, domestic Team presented...
The EYOF domestic delegation - the complete mission (in all 11 sports)
entered the Olympic Village today, where the athletes were presented to
the media. 143 members (111 athletes and 22 coaches) will represent the
country of Serbia.
The chief of the Serbian delegation Nebojsa Ilic (former Serbian Olympian
in Rowing) said at the small ceremony: "Taking part in this valuable event
will enable every athlete to reach one step ahead on the way to the Olympic
Games, which are the crown of every athlete's engagement. In front of all
us, as a host country, is a great honor and the obligation to represent
our sports potential as well as the organizing ability."
First
national teams were accommodated in Belgrade...
Belgrade opened up all its doors to the EYOF 2007 athletes. The airport
"Nikola Tesla", highways, railways, and the roads to the Serbian capital
are full of competitors, coaches and the officials from all over the Europe.
49 countries already confirmed their participation... More then 250 domestic
and international journalists, photo and TV reporters and technicians are
already accredited for this event...
Last several days, people from all over the Europe tried to reach the information
via this Swim Star Web Portal regarding the swimming start list and practice
schedule. We are sorry to inform our visitors that we still do not
have the required documents for the EYOF 2007 Swimming program. However,
we received the information from the Serbian Swimming Association (certified
for the competition activities), that the meeting of the delegates
will be held on Sunday, July 22 at 2 p.m. in the EYOF Village where
the final start list will be given to the officials of the national selections.
The opening ceremony is scheduled for Sunday July 22 at 8 p.m (Belgrade's
Arena).
Unbelievable air temperature in Belgrade last five days reached almost
43 C which caused some individual problems with the accommodation in the
Olympic Village...
The first EYOF press conference in the new media center at the Olympic
village was held today where the accredited journalists had the opportunity
to be introduced in the conditions and facilities for their working next
several days. At the media center, Radmila Hrustanovic, co-Mayor of the
city of Belgrade, Snezana Samardzic-Markovic, the Minister for Youth and
Sport in the Serbian government and Djordje Visacki, Executive Director
of the EYOF 2007 festival held a brief summary conference regarding all
the work that has been done in last few months considering the organization
of the largest International sport event ever held in Serbia..
Snezana Samardzic-Markovic said that this sport festival has a greater
value for the country of Serbia than just an athletic one. Considering
the efforts inlayed from the Belgrade's government, companies and different
institutions, Radmila Hrustanovic said that the serious funds investments
from the city's budget have been inlaid for past three months, especially
in arranging sport arenas and the Olympic village to have a "world class
look". Djordje Visacki, chief person of this event, highlighted the fact
that the EYOF is the biggest sport manifestation that has ever took place
in Serbia and promised that wonderful pictures will be sent throughout
the Europe and the world from the capital of Serbia - Belgrade.
Short interview with Djordje Visacki, Director of the EYOF 2007 is arranged
in the cooperation with the "Swim Star 200 Video" (Prepared
by Igor Rasula)
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Press Conference
in the EYOF Olympic Village...
The Press Center is opened today
by Radmila Hrustanovic, Co-Mayor of Belgrade and Snezana Samardzic-Markovic,
Minister of Sport
Like in all other sports, everything is ready also for the swimming competitions.
The marvelous in-door Olympic pool of the Tasmajdan Swim Center will host
453 swimmers from 47 countries (of 49 countries - participants of the EYOF
2007). Only two European countries did not enter their athletes - Monaco
and San Marino.
The biggest swim delegations will arrive from Germany, Sweden, Portugal,
Turkey, Russia, Poland, France, Finland, Great Britain, Italy and
Spain, bringing 16 swimmers each. The Serbian delegation will be consisted
of 12 competitors, all presented at this web site on July 14. In this moment,
it looks like the tribune with the 2,000 seating places at the Tas pool
will be tight considering the huge interest for this great sport. People
from Belgrade are fond of the swimming sport, so, many domestic fans will
be glad to support young Europeans in their "struggle" for medals
and new records.
Calm water with the temperature of 26 C and the great conditions for the
highest achievements at the Tasmajdan Swim Center are waiting for the athletes...
Everything is ready... Just five days left until the beginning of the EYOF
2007 the largest international sports event organized in Serbia ever. According
to the latest information from the organizing board, the 9th European
Youth Olympic Festival will gather the athletes from 49 European countries.
Among the eleven sports, the swimming will be one of the most interesting.
More then 460 competitors from 47 countries are already entered.
Mr. Djordje Visacki, Executive Director of the EYOF 2007 said: "We
are sending out the message of peace and friendships to all our European
guests. We are keeping our arms wide opened as sports rivals, but also
as brothers to each and every one of 3000 athletes, members of their delegations
and all European Olympic committees officials that are going to be guests
of our city from 21 to 28 of July".
The Belgrade chives of the EYOF 2007 - Mr.Goran Kreclovic, Secretary
of Sport of the Belgrade's Assembly (first from the left), Mr.Predrag
Manojlovic, Secretary General of the Serbian Olympic Committee, and
Mr.Djordje
Visacki, Executive Director of EYOF 2007 - at the latest press conference
organized by the Assembly of Belgrade.
On July 06, the Serbian Swimming
Federation has announced the final roster of the national selection for
the EYOF 2007 - swim competition. Eight male and six female swimmers
will represent domestic swimming at the Tasmajdan pool. Last two years
the development of this team is in hands of Aleksandar Rosic, Dragan Jocic
and Marko Djordjevic, coaches. The Serbian swim hopes will show their best..
Good luck to all !!
All EYOF 2007 participants (more
then 3,000 in 11 sports, 460 in the swimming) will be accomodated at the
well known "Studentski Grad" (the Student Town) in New Belgrade
- now the EYOF Olympic Village... During the school year, more then
7,000 students live there, mostly from the country, but also from abroad.
This is also the center of all student's, cultural and sport events. It
is situated on a very attractive location in the city. The Student Town
has a good connection to all parts of Belgrade, sports facilities and the
downtown that should enable really pleasant staying for many tourists and
especially youth visitors of the Capital of Serbia.
Few
distances from the EYOF Olympic Village
- Belgrade center – 5 km (bus
71, 72, 75, 77)
- Tasmajdan Swim Center –
6,5 km (bus 71, 72, 16)
- Belgrade rail and bus station
– 4,5 km (bus 601)
All rooms at the EYOF Olympic Village
are the first category, double or three-bed, or suites. Room area ranges
from 13 – 39 sqm with a terrace (in double-bed rooms only). Beside the
main Village restaurant, the self-service will be also located. Each meal
will include a continental choice of various food and fruit or dessert.
Packed lunches and meals for accredited persons will also be available.
So, every athlete will enjoy...
The Swimming program and the schedule of all events, training and other
information on this segment of the EYOF 2007 are now available at this
web presentation... Since Sunday July 22, the entrances to the swimming
facilities by the Tasmajdan swim center will be precisely shown to all
participants and delegates upon exact schedule, which would be delivered
by the organizer.
More info on that, as well as about the transfer and other things might
be reached via the official EYOF web site...
The program of all swim events (disciplines) in the EYOF 2007 competition's
segment can be seen here bellow...
The Tasmajdan Sports and Recreation Center is situated in the downtown
of Belgrade, opened in 1958. It includes two Olympic pools, open-air
stadium that has the stands for 5,000 spectators, separate Recreation Center
with the programs of aerobics, fitness, massage, bodybuilding, and therapeutic
gymnastics.. Within the Tasmajdan's organizational umbrella there is also
the "Pioneer Hall" with 7,000 seats, utilized for all kinds of indoor sports
and cultural events. Added to this complex there is also the Ice Hall for
all sports on ice, with the tribune capacity of 2.000 seats.
There are no many sports centers that can be proud of hosting two European
championships for women, four championships for men, five world championships
for women and another five for men, and a wide range of unforgettable international
shows (Water Polo World and European Cups), the six editions of the LEN
Belgrade Victor Swim Competition, 15 Memorials of Ante Lambasa and others...
The outdoor swimming pool was built in 1959-1961 (renovated in 2005). Its
sizes are 50x20m; its depth varies between 2.2 and 5.0 m; the tribune
capacity is 2,500 seats. It is equipped for all international day-and-night
competitions in swimming, water polo, diving and synchro swimming...
The indoor swimming pool was built in 1964-1968 and is opened for the first
FINA World Championships 1972. Its dimensions are 50x20m; its depth varies
between 2.2 and 5.4 m; tribune capacity of 2,500 seats. The swimming pool
is surrounded with four diving boards - 1m, 3m, 5m and 10m. It is fully
equipped for submersible recordings.
The EYOF events arose from the Small States of Europe Games. Upon
the initiative of the National Olympic Committee of Malta, the European
Olympic Committee launched the first edition of the Small States of Europe
Games in 1985. The Games were organized in San Marino (the smallest European
country). Since then, this multi sports event, reserved for the athletes
from eight European countries only, with less than one million inhabitants,
was held regularly every two years. After being organized in Monaco (1987),
Cyprus (1989), Andorra (1991), Malta (1993), Luxembourg (1995), Iceland
(1997), Liechtenstein (1999) and San Marino (2001), the second round started
then again in Malta in 2003, Andorra, 2005. Next event will take place
in Monte Carlo in 2007.
Considering those experiences, in 1990, on the initiative of Dr. Jacques
Rogge, the EOC launched the new event named the "European Youth Olympic
Days" (EYOD) now called European Youth Olympic Festival, the only multi
sports event in Europe. This Festival is organized every other year, and
has a summer and a winter edition.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since they were launched, the EYOF editions were staged successively in:
* 1991 in Brussels (BEL);
* 2001 in Vuokatti (FIN)
and Murcia (ESP);
* 1993 in Aosta (ITA) and in Valkenswaard
(NED);
* 2003 in Bled (SLO) and Paris (FRA);
* 1995 in Andorra-la Vella (AND)
and in Bath (GBR);
* 2005 in Monthey (SUI) and Lignano
Sabbiadoro (ITA);
* 1997 in Sundsvall (SWE) and in
Lisbon (POR);
* 2007 in Jaca (ESP) is finished
and the Belgrade's (in July);
(Belgrade, SRB) - Upon the patronage
of the City Assembly of Belgrade, the marvelous ceremony has been organized
bellow the Belgrade Victor Statue at the Park of the Kalemegdan, welcoming
the Olympic flame arriving to Belgrade, Serbia for the upcoming EYOF Belgrade
2007, European Youth Olympic Festival...
(Beograd,
SRB) - Pod pokroviteljstvom Skupstine grada Beograda, veceras je organizovana
sjajna kulturno-sportska ceremonija doceka Olimpijske baklje, na Kalemegdanu,
podno spomenika Beogradskom pobedniku, a u povodu skorasnjeg pocetka EYOF-a
Evropskog omladinskog festivala.
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
Mrs. Radmila Hrustanovic, co-Mayor
of the Belgrade Assembly, expressed the special gratitude to the Greek
Secretary of the Foreign affairs and the people of Athens who traditionally
lit the Olympic flame this morning, sending the best wishes to more then
3,000 youth athletes from all over the Europe.
G-dja Radmila Hrustanovic, zamenik
gradonacelnika Beograda u svom obracanju, zahvalila se grckim vlastima,
posebno ministru inostranih poslova i svim Atinjanima, koji su paleci vatru,
poslali najbolje zelje za preko 3,000 prijavljenih sportista iz svih
evropskih zemalja - ucesnika EYOF-a.
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
The last athlete who was honored
to carry out the Olympic flame to the postament at the Belgrade's tower
is Ms.Ivana Spanovic, the member of the national selection in the athletics
and the junior record holder.
Poslednji sportista koji je pocastvovan
da iznese Olimpijski plamen do specijalnog postamenta na Beogradskoj tvrdjavi
bila je Ivana Spanovic, na.bolja mlada atleticarka Srbije i clan reprezentacije
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Olympic Flame ceremony at the Belgrade's Tower ...(Photo
by Igor Rasula)
Encouraged
by Giulio Onesti (Italy), Raoul Mollet (Belgium) and Raymond
Gafner (Switzerland), sport enthusiasts and officials, the idea to
regroup the European National Olympic Committees (NOCs), decanted into
the resolution to establish a new organisation that was later known as
ANOC (Association of the National Olympic Committees). The creation of
the Continental Association of the European NOCs (AENOC) goes back to the
Assembly of Versailles in 1968, under the leadership of its first President,
Count
Jean de Beaumont, but it was not until 1975 in Lisbon, that the Association
had written statutes and a final name "The Association of European NOCs".
In the 1989, the Presidency was entrusted to Dr. Jacques Rogge (Belgium)
and the office was opened in Rome, Italy. The activities of the European
NOCs expanded under their leadership. Starting in the 1991, due to the
political changes in Europe, 15 more NOCs joined the Association and today
total number of countries is 48.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In 1995, for practical reasons, AENOC changed its name to become the European
Olympic Committees. Its legal seat that had been itinerant until then
was established in Lausanne, Switzerland close to the International Olympic
Committee, while the operational headquarters settled in Rome, close to
the Italian Olympic Committee.
In July 2001 during the 112th IOC Session (International Olympic Committee)
in Moscow, Dr. Jacques Rogge became IOC President. Four months later
in Monte-Carlo, the 30th EOC General Assembly elected Mario Pescante
as President of the EOC (European Olympic Committees) while the General
Secretariat was entrusted to Patrick Hickey, President of the Olympic Council
of Ireland.
In December 2005 in Dublin (IRL), the General Assembly elected the Executive
Committee for the period 2005-2009. Mario Pescante (ITA), President,
Alexander
Kozlovsky (RUS), Vice-President and Patrick Hickey (IRL), Secretary
General were re-elected.
Further to Mario Pescante (ITA) resignation, on July 29th 2006 an Extraordinary
General Assembly held in Rome, elected Patrick Hickey (IRL) President
and Raffaele Pagnozzi (ITA), Secretary General.
On Line from Belgrade, Serbia - dedicated to the swim audience
of the countries - participants of the European Youth Olympic Festival
2007...
In spite of the unexpected temperatures in the first two days of the swimming
competition at the EYOF 2007, amazing results were set at the Tasmajdan
pool. Just a day after the EYOF concluded, the best athletes have to be
mentioned. So, if we were to go back to compare results with those in the
previous EYOF, in women's 50-m freestyle all eight finalists in Belgrade
swam out better then the gold one in Lignano - Silvia Di Pietro (ITA)-26.23;
Silke Lippok (GER) -25.52; Eva Dobar (HUN)- 25.83... In another
discipline for instance, in the women's 400 Ind.Medley, the gold medal
was earned with 5:08.08 in Lignano 2005, while here in Belgrade, Aimee
Willmott (GB) swam out with the time of 4:56.69; Anna Yevchak (UKR)
- 4:57.57; Thomsen Emma (DEN) - 4:59.42, etc. 
The most exciting race the men's 50 free final: 1/ Gimondi
(ITA) 23.46; 2/Agnel (FRA) 23.76 and 3/ Barthel (GER) 24.09
(Prepared by Igor Rasula)
