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European Week of Sport
2020's Week in numbers
Participant countries and regions
42
Events
32 617
Participants
15 623 084
News and Stories
2020 Opening ceremony - Frankfurt, Germany
The 2020 opening of the European Week of Sport was hosted by the German Presidency. Despite travel restrictions, everybody was welcome to be a part of the event when EU-commissioner Mariya Gabriel officially declared the European Week of Sport open.
It's time to #BeActive!
Every year, from 23 to 30 September, the Week encourages European citizens to #BeActive - by building healther lifestyles that help participants to stay fit all year long. See the highlight video for some statements from this year's European Week of Sport ambassadors!
Meet your ambassadors

Oktawia Nowacka
Oktawia is a pentathlete. She won medals at national, European and World Championship level. She also won a bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.


Sergey Bubka
Sergey Bubka is multiple Gold medal winner in the World Championship and Olympic Games, in pole vault. He is an IAAF Hall of Famer, a l'Equipe Champion des Champions, a Marca Leyenda.
He was the first pole vaulter ever to clear 6.10 meters.

Yannick Agnel
Yannick AGNEL is a former French swimmer specializing in sprint and middle-distance (100 to 400 meters) freestyle swimming events.
He won 2 gold medals during the London 2012 Olympic Games in 200-meters freestyle and in the 4×100-meters freestyle relayb. He also became two-time World champion in 2013. On August 7, 2016, at the end of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, he announced his retirement from competitive swimming. He remains the World record holder for male 400-meters freestyle in short course and the European record holder for male 800-meters freestyle also in short course.

Ján Volko
Jan Volko is a Slovakian sprinter.
He received the silver medal at the 2017 European Indoor Championships and the gold medal at the 2019 European Indoor Championships.


Boris Vrhovac
Boris Vrhovac (Bosnia) is a physiotherapist who has worked with famous athletes across Europe and the Middle East.
He is part of the Ministry of Sport of the Republic of Srpska.
Miglena Selishka
In the 2020 European Wrestling Championships, Miglena won a gold medal in the women’s 50 kg event. (Wrestling)
Yoana Ilieva
European sabre champion at the 2020 European Cadets and Juniors Fencing Championships. (Fencing)

Baris Telli
Baris Telli (Turkey) is a National Football Player, EURO 2024 Ambassador.

Justyna Kozdryk
A powerlifter, Justyna is a Paralympic silver medal in the Beijing 2008 Olympics, she is medalist in both the World and European championships.

Eberhard Gienger
Eberhard Gienger is a former gymnast and world champion on high bars. He is now member of the German parliament and spokesperson of his party for sports and voluntary work.

Ivica Kostelić
A former World Cup alpine ski racer from Croatia, who specialized in the slalom and combined races, but was also one of the few alpine World Cup ski racers
able to score points in all disciplines.His main accomplishments include a 2003 World Championship gold medal in slalom, an Olympic silver medal in slalom in 2010, Olympic silver medals in
Ivaylo Ivanov
Silver medal at the 2019 European Championship in Minsk and world champion at the 2019 Military World Games in China. (Judo)

Dejan Lovren
Plays as a centre back for Premier League champions Liverpool and the Croatia national team, which is the current world runner-up, coming second in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Karl Izzo
Karl Izzo is the Head Coach of Malta’s national waterpolo team and Director of the World Waterpolo Coaches Association.

David Smith MBE
David Andrew Smith MBE took up Paralympic Rowing in 2009 after representing Great Britain in able-bodied Karate between 1993-1999 and Bobsleigh from 2002-2006. During this time, he also worked with the British Ski Teams as a national assistant coach.

Natalia Dobrynska
Olympic champion in heptathlon and Chair of the NOC Women in Sport Commission.

Kakhi Kakhiashvili
Kakhi Kakhiashvili, a former weightlifter, won an Olympic Gold Medal in 1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney, became European champion (1992, 1993, 1995, 1996), World Champion (1995, 1998, 1999), USSR Cup Champion 1991.
He is also a seven times World record holder, was awarded the best athlete of the year in Georgia (1992, 1993), is President of the National Weightlifting Federation (2015 to present) and is a member of the International Federation of Membership Committee.

Jake Vella
Jake Vella is a Maltese youngster that needs to constantly exercise to battle ROHHAD NET.
He is an inspiration for kids and adults across the country.

Gabriel Szabo
Gabriela Szabo is a former runner. Olympic champion and three time world champion on the 5000m and 1500m.

Khalida Popal
Short bio:
Khalida Popal is the former captain of the Afganistan Women’s National Football Team and founder and director of the Girl Power Organisation, which focuses on giving women in minority communities the chance to meet, collaborate and develop better self-esteem and confidence through sport.

Allar Levandi
Allar Levandi is a former Estonian nordic combined skier who won a bronze in the 15 km individual at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Levandi is now a successful entrepreneur, helping athletes to pursue their dreams.

Kai Realo
Kai Realo is the CEO of Circle K Estonia, leading, directing and controlling the activities of the business unit. Being active is a part of her job.


Jernej Slivnik
Jernej Slivnik is the most successful Slovenian para-alpine skier. He made his debut at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Games, making an excellent 12th place in the slalom, which is the best Slovenian ranking since the 1991 Paralympic Winter Games.

Zosia Dzięcioł
Zosia is a Polish swimmer and alpine skier. She is a medalist at the European and World Championship. She set a paralympian European record on the 800m run in Tampere.

Ricardo Quaresma
Ricardo Quaresma is an international football players, who won the European Championship with Portugal in 2016

Roberts Radičuks
Roberts Radičuks is nordic walking athlete and member of Latvian Academy of Sports Education

Tomi KID Kovács
Tomáš Kovács, alias Tomi Kid (born 20 June 1977 in Galanta, SVK) is a former Slovak boxer.

Sandra Raju
Sandra Raju is a fitness coach and influencer, having worked as a Nike Master Trainer for years

Laura Ester Ramos
Born in Barcelona, January 22, 1990, Laura Ester Ramos is a Spanish water polo player who plays as a goalkeeper in the CN Sabadell of the Women's Division of Honor and in the Spanish team.
She was awarded Best European player of 2017 by the LEN, World champion in 2013, two-time European champion (2014 and 2020) and came runner-up in 2012 Olympic Games.

Marko Milič
Marko Milič is a Slovenian former professional basketball player. After being selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1997 NBA Draft (34th overall), Milič's rights were traded to the Phoenix Suns. After seeing limited NBA duty (44 career games) during his two seasons with the Suns, he returned to Europe and played for Union Olimpija , Real Madrid, Fortitudo Bologna, Pesaro (2004 Italian Cup finalist) and Virtus Bologna. He also represented Fenerbahçe in the first part of the 1998-99 season, due to the NBA season's lockout.


Pedro Fernandes
Also known as Pacheco, Pedro Fernandes is a Portuguese presenter, actor,
speaker, screenwriter and humorist.
He was also the #BeActive Ambassador for 2019 trail and ultra-trail runner.

Jorge Pina
After becoming blind, Jorge Pina was forced to leave professional boxing and
reshape his life. When the doctors gave him the news, he asked, "Can I run?"
and soon began training. Since, he has participated in the Beijing Paralympic
Games in 2008, in London in 2012 and the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016.

Sara Andres
Born in Madrid, August 21, 1986, Sara Andreas is a Paralympic athlete.
She was awarded a Bronze medal at the London Athletics World Championship in 400 and 200 meters and holds the World record for long jump, achieving the 4.07 meters in the T62 category.
She has qualified for Tokyo 2021.

Mateo Kovačić
A midfielder for English club Chelsea and the Croatian national team. Kovačić was selected in Croatia's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup which came runner-up.

Aija Ambrasa
Aija Ambrasa is a kiteboarder. She has a bronze medal from the World Championships in Winter Wind Sports in 2017.

Samanta Fabris
A member of the Croatia women's national volleyball team, Fabris was part of the Croatian national team at the 2014 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship in Italy. With Pomi Casalmaggiore, she won the silver medal at the 2016 FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship.

Joao Vaz
An adapted swimming athlete holding a remarkable record.
He was won the European Champion title four times, has been awarded European Vice Champion seventeen times and has won ten bronze medals.
He won the title of World Runner-up five times and was considered one of the three best adapted swimmers in 2016 by the Portuguese Swimming Federation. He won the Best Swimming Athlete Award by the same Federation in 2017 and 2018.

Ray Derley
Born in Santo Domingo, May 26, 1993, Ray Derley is a Spanish athlete who competes in artistic gymnastics and who specializes in floor and jump tests.
He was awarded a bronze medal at the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and a gold medal at the 2015 Baku European Games. Both of these awards were for floor events



Šárka Kašpárková
Šárka Kašpárková is a former Czech track and field athlete who specialised in the triple jump. She attended her first Summer Olympics in 1992, participating in the high jump.
She won an Olympic bronze medal for the triple jump at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Šárka became a world champion at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics in Athens, her winning jump of 15.20m is a Czech record until today.

Jovan Simic
Jovan Simic is a former footballer and founder of the charity Foundation “Zajedno za zivot“, which aims to help children who need medical treatment in the country or abroad. Earlier this year, he was introduced as a new reinforcement of the Vozdovac football club as marketing director.

Maya Azarashvili
Maya Azarashvili (Georgia) is a former sprinter, especially in the 200m. She was a semi-finalist of the World Championship in 1987.

Raša Sraka Vukovič
Rasa Sraka Vukovic is a successful athlete and Olympian. She competed in Judo. She represented Slovenia at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and 2012 in London, where she finished 7th.
At the 2005 World Cup in Cairo, she won the first medal in Slovenian judo history.

Drita Islami
Professional athlete born 1996, since 2009 she has trained in professional track and field, representing North Macedonia in European and World sports events, including the Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro 2016. She was awarded best athlete in North Macedonia 8 years in a row, from 2010 until 2019, best athlete of the city Skopje 2017,2018,2019., 9 times National Champion, 8 National Records. Drita is an athlete that inspires social cohesion within the country and is fighting for young girls, no matter what their religion or background to continue reaching their goals.

Konstantin Vassiljev
Konstantin is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for FC Flora and the Estonia national team. Vassiljev has been named Estonian Footballer of the Year three times, and has won the Estonian Silverball award a record five times.

Taybe Yusein
Taybe Yusein is the leader of the national women's wrestling team in Bulgaria. She is 2018 World Cup champion in the 62kg category. She was the number one athlete in Bulgaria in 2018.

Johanny Reyes
Johanny Reyes is a health and well-being manager, personal trainer and group fitness instructor for UN City Copenhagen. He is actively engaged in promoting healthy lifestyles, nutrition and exercise.


Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is a crossbench peer and legendary Paralympian wheelchair racer - one of the most successful British athletes of all time.
Over an international career spanning 19 years she won 11 Paralympic Gold medals, held over 30 world records and won the London Marathon six times.


Maria Andrejczyk
Maria is a European junior javelin champion. She took fourth place at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016.

Rachel Chircop
Rachel Chircop is a 19-year-old Special Olympics Malta BowlerJoining Special Olympics Malta (SOM) has helped her to boost her confidence and enhance her sports and education skills. Rachel quickly adapted to her sport discipline and participated in various local competitions, achieving great scores.
Rachel was elected Secretary of SOM Athlete Leadership Committee in February 2020, and later on, SOM Ambassador for the #Be Active European Week of Sports.


Sarah Chouhal
Coming from a family of athletes, 17-year-old Sarah Chouhal is herself a 400m and hammer throw athlete.
She is the first Maltese female surpassing the 50m mark in hammer throw and she has obtained multiple national records in the U14, U16 and U18 categories.
In the COJI Games, Sarah got the gold medal in hammer throw, silver in the Swedish relay and bronze in the 400m and 800m. During the Fisec Games, she won silver in the mixed Swedish relay and bronze in the 400m. Sarah qualified for the 200m final.
Bilyana Dudova
Three time European champion (2017, 2018, 2019), silver medal at the 2018 World championship, silver medal at the 2020 European championship. (Wrestling)

Keet Oldenbeuving
Very talented and young skateboarder, who is set to enter her first olympics.

Dejan Manaskov
Dejan is a Macedonian handball player for Telekom Veszprém and the North Macedonian national team. He is a great handball player that is an inspiration to a lot of young people in the country, giving them something to look up to as well as to fight for. He has reached great success through his hard work, training and for never giving up. This year we are proud to have him as an Ambassador who will spread the message of the be active campaign on a local, regional, national and international level.

Natasa Kovacevic
Natasa Kovacevic is a basketball player. She won second place at the U20 European basketball Championship and she won the national cup with Crvena zvezda.She is FIBA Youth Ambassador.


Mirsad Catic
Mirsad Catic (Bosnia) is an executive board member for the National Olympic Committee of Bosnia.

Denislav Kodjabashev
Denislav Kodjabashev is a Paralympian Table Tennis player.

Eirini Mandraveli
Eirini Mandraveli is a Greek rhythmic gymnast. She has won medals at many competitions both individually and with the Greek National Rhythmic Gymnastics Team.
Boryana Kaleyn
Bronze medalist at the 2020 European Championship in Baku. (Rythmic Gymnastics)
Ivet Goranova
World champion at the 2019 European games in Minsk and bronze medalist at the 2018 Women’s Kumite 55 kg event in Madrid. (Karate)

Zofia Klepacka
Zofia is a windsurfer, Olympic medalist in London 2012 in RS: X class (bronze medal). She's also won medals at the World and European championships.

Czesław Lang
He is an Olympic runner-up and two-time medalist of the World Road Championships.

Janine Flock
Janine Flock is an Austrian Olympic skeleton racer, silver medal at the 2016 World Championship.


Kalliopi Loufaki
Kelly Loufaki is a champion in Wheelchair Fencing, while working in a bank. She participated in the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016, which was an amazing experience for her and she looks forward to the future with optimism hoping to participate in Tokyo 2020! In April 2018 she won the Bronze Medal at the Montreal World Cup!

National Danish Performance Team
The National Danish Performance Team is considered a world leader in team and display gymnastics. The team consists of 28 selected and highly-skilled gymnasts from all over Denmark. The team has toured the world since 1994 and more than 2 million people from nearly 60 countries have seen NDPT’s shows.

Jana Dukátová
Jana Dukátová won eight medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships: 3 golds (C1: 2010; K1: 2006; K1 team: 2011), 4 silvers (K1: 2010, 2011, 2017; K1 team: 2009) and a bronze (K1 team: 2014). She also won the overall World Cup title 4 times in the K1 class (2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013). At the European Championships she won a total of 14 medals (4 golds, 5 silvers and 5 bronzes).

Artur Siodmiak
Artur is a former international handball player. He participated in the Olympic Games, was runner-up in the World Championship 2007 and bronze medalist in the 2009 World Championship.

Benjamin Savšek
Benjamin Savšek (born 24 March 1987) is a Slovenian slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2002.
He won seven medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships with a gold (C1: 2017), three silvers (C1: 2014, 2015, C1 team: 2018) and three bronzes (C1: 2013, C1 team: 2014, 2015). He also won seven medals at the European Canoe Slalom Championships (4 golds, 1 silver and 2 bronzes).

Darko Kralj
A world-record holding paralympic discus thrower, winning a gold medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. He is the first is Croat to win a gold medal at the Paralympic Games.

Amal Amjahid
My name is Amal Amjahid, I am 23 years old and I live in Molenbeek. My passion for Jiu-Jitsu started early, around the age of six. The trigger was a fight in school against a big, intimidating boy. After this event, my teachers advised my parents to practice a fighting sport to better focus my energy. I tried out a lot of disciplines but Jiu-Jitsu was my favorite choice. Since 2008, I've been passing on my passion and sports values at my academy called "Cens Academy", which I created in Molenbeek with my parents.

Balázs Döbörhegyi
Balazs Doborhegyi is a Hungarian member of the Face Team Acrobatic Sports Theatre. He currently serves as Manager of Face Team. Balázs and his team's tricks have stunned spectators at NBA and FIBA events worldwide.

Ozan Karakus
Ozan Karakus (Turkey) is the president of the Turkish Sports Industry Association.


Fatima Lopes
A very distinguished Portuguese television presenter with a health and
well-being blog called “Simply Flow”.

Patricia Matos
Patricia Matos is a Portuguese sports journalist. She has been a journalist for TVI since 2007. She was part of TVI24's initial project, where she presented weekend afternoons and after hours. She later became the face of Diário da Manhã .

Simone Perrotta
Simone Perrotta è stato un calciatore professionista. Ha militato in diverse squadre della Serie A, vincendo una Coppa Italia. Ha giocato nella Nazionale di calcio Under 21 vincendo il titolo europeo e nella Nazionale maggiore vincendo i Mondiali del 2006 in Germania.


Nemanja Majdov
Nemanja Majdov is a Serbian judo player. He is the holder of Master's title - black belt 3rd Day. In 2017, at the World Championship held in Budapest he became a World Champion. At recently finished World Judo Championship in Japan he won bronze medal and continued his road to Tokyo 2020 Olympics.


Zbigniew Bródka
Zbigniew is a speed skater. He won a gold and bronze medal at the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014.

Anastasiia Kozhenkova
Olympic champion in rowing and member of the NOC Athletes Commission


Ana Umer
Ana Umer is the most successful Slovenian archer. She was the European Champion in both 2015 and 2017, team silver in the 2017 European Archery Championships, and team bronzes in the 2016 and 2018 Polish Archery Championships. She was 1st place in the 2016 Veronika Cup.

Iulian Berco
Iulian Berco has participated in 65 marathons and ultramarathons in South Africa, New Zealand, the Europe, CIS and other regions. He has organised over 20 sport events, mostly running competitions. He has been involved in over 25 charitable fundraising actions, and in over 100 TV and radio programs.


Martin Stefanowski
Martin Stefqanovski is a professional swimmer who has participated in numerous major international competitions, including the Balkan Games, European and World Championships, the World University Olympic Games and the Olympic Games.

Joana Bartaškienė
Joana Bartaškienė is a sports gymnast. She is the pioneer of aerobics in Lithuania.

Carlos Lopes
Former Portuguese athlete and Olympic champion, one of the best of his
generation, known across the world for long distance athletics.
Lopes excelled in track, road and cross-country events.

Brigita Langerholc Žager
Brigita Langerholc is a Slovenian athlete. She performed for Slovenia at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and 2008 in Beijing.
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