European Junior Championships in weightlifting enters the fair play relay

The European Junior & U23 Championships in Weightlifting continue the international challenge campaign for fair sports. The European Championships will be held from 24 September to 3 October in Rovaniemi, Finland. This is the first time that athletes under the age of 20 and 23 are lifting weights in European Championships in Finland.

Participants in the European Championships in Weightlifting will include about 500 athletes and 250 other people, including national team support staff and referees. The participants come from nearly 40 different countries.

The opening ceremony will feature the Golden Baton, which promotes the message of fair play and clean sports. The relay has a long history, as more than 30 international sports events organised in Finland have already taken part in the fair play challenge.

This European Junior Championships event was challenged by the Junior European Judo Championships held in Vantaa, Finland. The young weightlifters will be presented the baton by the Finnish judoka Louna-Lumia Seikkula.

“This baton brings the message of fair play and clean sports from the Junior European Judo Championships to Rovaniemi. Enjoy the event and cheer for all the teams,” Seikkula says.

“Thank you for the Golden Baton. We will pass on its message of fair play, with responsibility being one of our main themes,” says Viivi Körkkö on behalf of the junior European Championship weightlifters.

Anni Vuohijoki, one of Finland’s top weightlifters, reminds the young weightlifters of the importance of fair play.

“Fair play must be a core value in sports, in both adult and junior competitions. Young athletes, being at early stages of their careers, have the opportunity to build their sporting careers on fair play from the start. Athletes must be involved in taking responsibility for the future of weightlifting and its continuity in the Olympic programme. I wish all participating teams a successful European Championship competition,” Vuohijoki says.

The Finnish Center for Integrity in Sports (FINCIS) shares information on clean sports practices at the European Championships event. At the FINCIS information stand, athletes can test their anti-doping knowledge and vote for the Fair Play Athlete of the event. The FINCIS information stand will be at the venue on 28–29 September.

Additional information:
Susanna Sokka
FINCIS Communication Manager
tel.: +358 (0)40 740 7477