New Birmingham Stadium

[RunUnlimited]

The Olympic Stadium track was a state of the art Mondo track when it was installed for 2012, so not the same. The Birmingham track is the cheapest spec. Beynon performance track.

To highlight this point, I took the opportunity to checkout Beynon's own company website, which has a page displaying the differences between the grades of track surfaces they have on offer.

https://beynonsports.com/en/products/detail/outdoor/

The key ones here are the BSS 1000 (the track surface used for the new Alexander Stadium) and the BSS 2000 RE (the track surfaces used at Hayward Field). It even shows you which other facilities have used the particular track product too.

I'll leave folks here to make their own interpretation of what they see.

Also, let's hold off judgement of the tracks' capabilities until we see what happens this Saturday in the Diamond League meeting, shall we? If the likes of Dalilah Muhammad, Omar McLeod, Dina Asher-Smith, Keely Hodgkinson and others can't get a tune out of it, then we can give the organizing committee a well deserved roasting.

[Stew-Coach]

Its interesting that they rate the oregon track also 4.5 same as the 1000 series, as the results from their last year were.... fast!!!

Personally from what ive seen of Beyvon, its performance is better than Mondo (main differences now being the strategic air pockets being used by Mondo to enhance performance)

[Chafford1]

As far as I can see from the link, the BSS 2000 track at Eugene has a 5 star rating.

[Stew-Coach]

Eugene is the 2000 RE apparently, click on "Installed Installations"

[carterhatch]

An article worth a read if you havent already

https://athleticsweekly.com/blog/the-skys-the-limit-for-alexander-the-great-1039956828/

I thought the stadium looked great on TV ... any fast times may well have been inhibited by the cold conditions, we will have to hope for good weather at the CGs.

[RunUnlimited]

I agree on both points - the stadium looked fab, while the times were unfortunately inhibited by the typically unhelpful British weather. Mihambo managed a WL, 7.09m meeting record jump there, so that suggests that the track is not "slow" by any means.

As a preview/test event for how the Commonwealth's will go, it passed with flying colours.

[carterhatch]

i know I am stretching the thread/forum remit a bit ... but I am sure some of you might be interested to know that the 'Construction on the Sandwell Aquatics Centre is complete with the facility set to host aquatic action at the 2022 Commonwealth Games later this summer.'

Plus, this link is to a site that you might not know and does great coverage of swimming.

https://swimswam.com/new-venue-for-2022-commonwealth-games-swimming-completet/

[Chafford1]

The rail strikes announced today coincide with the UK Athletics Championships in Manchester.

Let's hope the Commonwealth Games organisers have contingency plans in case the RMT Union hold rail strikes during the Games.

[Chafford1]

Birmingham announced today as one of two candidate cities for the 2026 European Athletics Championships, the other city being Budapest.

[treadwater1]

And it’s been confirmed that athletics is leaving the multi sport European championships

[Chafford1]

Looks as if coordination of sports in the combined championships is the main issue. Interestingly, European Athletics are happy to be part of the European Games in 2023 as the European Team Championships will be part of those Games.

[marra]

It's a shame those champs never really took off but swimming leaving was a big loss and now with athletics joining them, can't see a 3rd edition happening. Those two sports are their biggest draws, surely?

The European Games has the advantage of being organised by the various Olympic committees, so is used as a qualifying event for that for a bunch of sports if i remember correctly.

A strong European multi event games is a good thing in my opinion, so hopefully in the long run one of them works out.

[marilyn1]

i know I am stretching the thread/forum remit a bit ... but I am sure some of you might be interested to know that the 'Construction on the Sandwell Aquatics Centre is complete with the facility set to host aquatic action at the 2022 Commonwealth Games later this summer.'

Plus, this link is to a site that you might not know and does great coverage of swimming.

https://swimswam.com/new-venue-for-2022-commonwealth-games-swimming-completet/

Swimswam is the best around for results and general issues in the swimming. For those interested Tom Dean got bronze today in the 200m

[carterhatch]

oh... and if you are a follower of swimming ... try the twitters of pullbuoy and propulsion swimming. plus if a tennis fan, particularly of a GB-centric nature, this forum is a great resource...

https://britishtennis.activeboard.com/

[treadwater1]

Paris were initially given the 2026 games after Gateshead failed to secure government funding, so I don’t think they’ll be too impressed. Perhaps Paris didn’t want it, what with it being only two years after the Olympics.

[carterhatch]

Nothing I have seen so far from Oregon [I keep calling the track Haywards Heath LOL] tells me that the new Alexander stadium [with maybe some temp' extra seating] could not host a World Championships... I hope to see that the good people of Birmingham fill the stadium, more than we see in Eugene, for the CG morning sessions [ it certainly was my experience as a games maker that London 2012 was packed every morning ] ...

[Grassmarket]

London was an absolute one off. Sold out morning sessions had never happened before.

[Ladyloz]

London 2017 morning sessions were mostly full too. I went to the Saturday Morning session on the final weekend and it was rammed.

[PotterHoppo96]

Of Brum really wanted to host a world champs they could be given one. It's not as if the champs have huge interest in hosting them or anything

[trickstat]

Tokyo beat 2 other candidates for 2025 so it's not like World Athletics are having to beg for cities to host.

[carterhatch]

Honestly ... I envy anyone who has attended the Alexander stadium this week.

The level of support has been extraordinary. People have, understandably, roared on each and every home nation athlete, but beyond that the crowd have been generous with applause to the last athlete over the line, and the athletes themselves have seemed genuinely amazed at the level of volume and intensity [Cindy Sember had happy birthday sung to her!]. I know its not the first time a British crowd have delivered but to me [having watched CGs since the early 70s] it has been a revelation given all the other distractions available these days.

Morning sessions, as we should have suspected from London 2012/2017, have been packed. Once again confirming the appetite for a certain level of athletic competition in this country. I do wonder what the rest of the world must think about this support, it puts Eugene to shame. Certainly somehow we need to harnass this enthusiasm for athletics, especially now so many different sports, across so many different platforms, are vying for attention.

The British summer weather [or if you must the 'climate emergency'] has delivered, so far, almost ideal conditions, I bet athletes from warmer climes had packed their woolies & raincoats [when I taught in China they still thought London was always covered in fog] Did anyone else not look with awe at the evening sky, I think, Tuesday, it was the most awesome nightscape I think i have ever seen in the UK.

Those athletes, coaches, support staff, even spectators who had been to Eugene might be able to make a more considered comparison, but, someone [I cant find the quote] said that the UK could never hold a world athletics championships outside of London, well, on this evidence alone, I would have to strongly disagree.

Well done, Birmingham.

[trickstat]

I don't doubt that we could host a Worlds outside of London, a slight doubt exists as to whether anywhere else would get awarded one. I say slight because there have been plenty of hosts that aren't capitals, or very large or glamorous.

[MysteryBrick]

If Eugene can host it, Brum can...

[marilyn1]

Honestly ... I envy anyone who has attended the Alexander stadium this week.

The level of support has been extraordinary. People have, understandably, roared on each and every home nation athlete, but beyond that the crowd have been generous with applause to the last athlete over the line, and the athletes themselves have seemed genuinely amazed at the level of volume and intensity [Cindy Sember had happy birthday sung to her!]. I know its not the first time a British crowd have delivered but to me [having watched CGs since the early 70s] it has been a revelation given all the other distractions available these days.

Morning sessions, as we should have suspected from London 2012/2017, have been packed. Once again confirming the appetite for a certain level of athletic competition in this country. I do wonder what the rest of the world must think about this support, it puts Eugene to shame. Certainly somehow we need to harnass this enthusiasm for athletics, especially now so many different sports, across so many different platforms, are vying for attention.

The British summer weather [or if you must the 'climate emergency'] has delivered, so far, almost ideal conditions, I bet athletes from warmer climes had packed their woolies & raincoats [when I taught in China they still thought London was always covered in fog] Did anyone else not look with awe at the evening sky, I think, Tuesday, it was the most awesome nightscape I think i have ever seen in the UK.

Those athletes, coaches, support staff, even spectators who had been to Eugene might be able to make a more considered comparison, but, someone [I cant find the quote] said that the UK could never hold a world athletics championships outside of London, well, on this evidence alone, I would have to strongly disagree.

Well done, Birmingham.

Well said carter

[treadwater1]

The support from the British public has been fantastic and it will not have escaped the attention of European Athletics vis-a-vis the 2026 championship bid.

There were some spectacular photos of the stadium from Tuesday

[carterhatch]

An amazing photo - that sky is the one I mentioned up-thread and might we never see the like again...

[marra]

If championships were granted by public enthusiasm, Britain would probably host about half of them.

But, let's be honest, money is one of the main reasons, possibly THE main reason - both Doha and Eugene clearly got the champs due to some promised...generous funds, albeit from different sources.

Then you have to add in that governing bodies want the champs in big famous cities as well. And finally, to be seen to being 'inclusive' and spreading the message to new places.

Those are the problems places have when trying to get global champs, especially for British cities that aren't London.

But on the European level it's a no brainer to finally have one here.

[carterhatch]

I challenge the governing body of World Athletics to pin correctly on a map the 'big, famous cities' of Daegu, Osaka, Edmonton, Stuttgart, none of them the capitals of their respective nations ... don't get me wrong, I love Seville, but its not Madrid, its not Barcelona, its not Costa Brava hahaha I think it has more to do with the attitude of UK Athletics who are overly anxious that the outside world only perceive 'England' synonymously with London [and I speak as a Londoner born'n'bred]

I think Birmingham have shown the world would be welcome and deliver a fabulous championships.

[marra]

I take your point but would in my defence say I didn't limit it to just athletics, I said governing bodies in general.

Also, in fairness, both Osaka and Daegu have a population at least twice the size of Brum.

I could also point that the majority of the champs you mention have not been in the last 10 editions of the Champs, which have seen London, Beijing, Paris, Berlin, Moscow all host, with Tokyo upcoming. Most of which I would say safely qualify under my vague "big famous city" claim.

So whilst you are technically correct that not all of the past hosts have met all the criteria I outline, I think my general point still stands. Money, fame of venue or "expanding access" are probably the 3 main reasons for a host city getting the champs, with public support being much lower priority for the governing body.

Also, I'd argue that it is less the attitude of UK bodies and more the attitude of non-British bodies, who associate the UK with London.

[marra]

BTW I'm not arguing that Brum can't or shouldn't host, just that it faces more challenges than some other places have/would do.