Baku, April 20, 2015 – less than two months from the Opening Ceremony of the Inaugural European Games, organizers conducted a final rehearsal with wrestling and boxing test events, which closed this weekend.

Pierce O’Callaghan, Baku 2015 Sports Director, interviewed by the French sports magazine “FrancsJeux”, spoke about the sports vision for the new continental event.

We propose it to our readers – especially those who do are not very fluent in the language of Molière.

FrancsJeux: What strategy have you adopted for the organization of test-events for the first European Games?

Pierce O’Callaghan: Unlike the Olympics, where they are required, test events can be organized in a very flexible way for the European Games. For some sports, we have made the choice of closed tests, so as to make them less costly in terms of time and resources. But we have organized six full-scale test events, including gymnastics, which was a great success. At the Europeans Games, the gymnastics competition will be a kind of laboratory of the vision of the President of the European Gymnastics Union, the Frenchman Georges Guelzec, for the future of the sport. We will have three different mats, with several disciplines at the same time, including aerobics and acrobatic gymnastics. There will be no dull moments.

Q – Can the European Games, like the Youth Games serve as a testing ground for Olympic sports?

R – Indeed. This will happen in Baku, not just for gymnastics. In judo, a team event is included in the programme. For canoeing, athletes will compete in 200 m sprint. In basketball, FIBA wants to test 3×3.

Q – In Baku, the judo tournament will also be the European Championships. Has this novelty upset your plans in terms of organization?

A- No. We were expecting 350 judokas and we will actually welcome 400 for this 4-day tournament, the best there are. All athletes are highly motivated by the prospect of competiting in these Games, not only in judo. They want to make history by being the first to enter their names in the medal chart. The vision of the Association of European Olympic Committees (EOC), in creating this event was to host the European sports championships of all the sports on the programme. Judo is a case in point.

Q – The Baku European Games with 20 sports. Is it the right size?

A – We planned 12 but in the end they are 20. But the number of sports on the programme will depend on the host city of the Games. The EOC wants to size the event to fit the host city, to contain costs and no full-blown bidding process.

Q – Yet in Baku, Azerbaijan gives the impression of having spent lavishly …

R – The country has taken the opportunity to develop the sports facilities it needed. There is no venue that was built specifically for the European Games. Some installations are temporary. The building of the other venues was decided prior to the designation of Baku as host city of the Games in 2015.

Q – Should we expect a significant difference in level between sports where the road to Rio goes via the Baku Games, such as table tennis and triathlon, and others?

A – It is difficult to answer because the individual registrations began in early April. Inevitably, the difference could be felt. In athletics, the competition will pit the teams of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Slovakia, Israel, Denmark against each other … but for a first edition, the level of participation should be higher than expected.

Q – The organizing committee seems to have no major problems, despite a very short preparation time. How do you explain it?

R – Azerbaijan had no experience of organizing major international sporting events. The country’s authorities knew. They immediately took the right decision: to use international experts. Most people recruited to major positions have already worked on the organization of the Olympics.

The original interview with Pierce O’Callaghan is on www.FrancsJeux.com