LEN announced the dates of the 35th European Water Polo Championships that will take place in Split. The Championships will be held from August 27 to September 10, 2022, LEN announced today.
Split was determined as a host of the 2022 Europeans a long time ago. Originally, it was planned that the event would be held in early or the middle of the summer. But, since the World Championships is moved from 2021 to 2022 (May 13 – 29), LEN decided to set the Europeans in the late summer.
These dates were set in order to ensure that the players take the necessary recovering period, after a busy spring in that year, LEN said.
“To have our top water polo event in July 2022 would mean unbearable load for our great water polo players who will need to enjoy a substantial recovery period after an unprecedentedly busy spring” LEN President Paolo Barelli said. “Athletes’ welfare has always been in the core of LEN’s policies and we shall never move away from our principles. The Croatian Water Polo Federation and the local organisers were all very supportive to hold the championships at the end of the summer.”
“Though the event is still two years away, Croatia, the city of Split and the local water polo community are all already excited to welcome back the European Water Polo Championships to our country” Croatian Water Polo Federation President Mladen Drnasin added. “International water polo events always enjoy a fantastic atmosphere here in Croatia and we expect nothing less this time. On behalf of the organisers and the city, we can promise to deliver another outstanding championships in 2022.”
The Championships venue will be a multi-purpose “Spaladium Arena,” which has a capacity of 10.000 spectators. The 2009 men’s handball European Championships was played in this arena.
This won’t be for the first time that the European Water Polo Championships is held in September. The 1999 Europeans took place in Florence from September 2 to September 11. Belgrade was the host of the 27th European Championships from September 1 to September 10, 2006. The 2010 European Championships in Zagreb was played from August 29 to September 11.
Quotes source: LEN Press Release
