European Games facts for kids
The European Games is a continental multi-sport event in the Olympic tradition contested by athletes from European nations and several transcontinental countries. The Games were envisioned and are governed by the European Olympic Committees (EOC), which announced their launch at its 41st General Assembly in Rome, on 8 December 2012.
Contents
History
The European Games are the 5th continental Games in the Olympic tradition to be initiated, after the Asian Games, Pan American Games, Pacific Games and African Games. As of 2015, every sporting continent has continental games.
The European Games are not related to the European Championships, a separate multi-sport event organised by individual European sports federations, bringing together the individual European Championships of athletics, swimming, artistic gymnastics, cycling, rowing, golf, and triathlon under a single 'brand' on a four-year cycle beginning in 2018, and broadcast by agreement with the EBU.
List of European Games
The 2015 European Games, the first edition of the event, took place in Baku, Azerbaijan in June 2015, and further editions were planned to be held every four years thereafter. The 2019 edition was held in Minsk, Belarus from 21 to 30 June. The 2023 edition was held in Kraków, Poland from 21 June to 2 July. The 2027 edition will be held in Istanbul, Turkiye.
Edition | Year | Host City | Host Nation | Opened by | Start Date | End Date | Nations | Competitors | Sports | Events | Top Placed Team | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
I | 2015 | Baku | Azerbaijan | President Ilham Aliyev | 12 June | 28 June | 50 | 5,898 | 21 | 253 | Russia (RUS) | |
II | 2019 | Minsk | Belarus | President Alexander Lukashenko | 21 June | 30 June | 4,082 | 15 | 200 | Russia (RUS) | ||
III | 2023 | Kraków-Małopolska | Poland | President Andrzej Duda | 21 June | 2 July | 48 | 6,857 | 29 | 254 | Italy (ITA) | |
IV | 2027 | Istanbul | Turkey | President of Turkey (expected) | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Participating nations
As of the 2023 edition, 50 nations whose National Olympic Committee is recognized by the European Olympic Committee have competed at the European Games. As of 2023, two of these, Russia and Belarus, are suspended. In addition, a Refugee EOC team has been created to take part.
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus (suspended)
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Great Britain
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Kosovo
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia (suspended)
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- EOC Refugee Team
Sports
The 2019 Minsk European Games Sports Programme included 15 sports, 23 disciplines, 10 qualifying sports to Tokyo 2020, 4 Sports European Championship, for a total of 4082 competitors in 201 medal events.
The figures in each cell indicate the number of events for each sport contested at the respective Games.
Sport (Discipline) | Body | 2015 | 2019 | 2023 | NG | |||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
World | Europe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Artistic swimming | WA | LEN | 4 | 8 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Diving | 8 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Swimming | 42 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Water polo | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Archery | WA | WAE | 5 | 8 | 8 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Athletics | WA | EAA | 1 | 10 | 38 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Badminton | BWF | BE | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Basketball (3x3) | FIBA | FIBAE | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Beach handball | IHF | EHF | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Beach soccer | FIFA | UEFA | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Boxing | IBA | EBC | 15 | 15 | 13 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Breaking | WDSF | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Canoe slalom | ICF | ECA | 10 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Canoe sprint | 15 | 16 | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
BMX Freestyle | UCI | UEC | 2 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Mountain biking | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Road cycling | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track cycling | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fencing | FIE | EFC | 12 | 12 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Acrobatic gymnastics | FIG | UEG | 6 | 6 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Aerobic gymnastics | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Artistic gymnastics | 14 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rhythmic gymnastics | 8 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Trampoline | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Judo | IJF | EJU | 18 | 15 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Karate | WKF | EKF | 12 | 12 | 12 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Kickboxing | WAKO | 16 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Modern pentathlon | UIPM | 5 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Muaythai | IFMA | 10 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Padel | IPF | 3 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby sevens | WR | RE | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sambo (martial art) | FIAS | ESF | 8 | 18 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Shooting | ISSF | ESC | 19 | 19 | 30 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Ski jumping | FIS | 5 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport climbing | IFSC | 6 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Table tennis | ITTF | ETTU | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Taekwondo | WT | ETU | 8 | 16 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Teqball | FITEQ | 5 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Triathlon | WT | ETU | 2 | 3 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Beach volleyball | FIVB | CEV | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Volleyball | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wrestling | UWW | CELA | 24 | 18 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Total events | 253 | 200 | 254 |
Medal table
All-time European Games medal table
See also
In Spanish: Juegos Europeos para niños
Global Games
Other EOC-organised events
- European Youth Olympic Festival
- Games of the Small States of Europe
Other pan-European Games
- European Championships (multi-sport event)
- European Para Championships
Community-based multisport events involving EOC members
- Commonwealth Games
- Jeux de la Francophonie
- Lusofonia Games
- Mediterranean Games
- Island Games
Other continental games in the Olympic Tradition
- African Games
- Asian Games
- SEA Games
- Pacific Games
- Pan American Games
- South American Games