The 2014 edition of the Areva Athletics Meeting will be held on Saturday July 5 at the Stade de France. Long private, the French stage of the IAAF Diamond League has been under the control of the French Athletics Federation (FFA) for three years. Its president, Bernard Amsalem, explained to FrancsJeux the reason and the issues.
FrancsJeux: Why did the FFA want to become the owner of the Meeting Areva?
Bernard Amsalem: All sports federations dream of owning a Roland-Garros. An athletics meeting is obviously not comparable, but it is part of our strategy of developing heritage events. We did it recently, for road racing, by creating an Ekiden in Paris. We have the plan, for indoors, to relaunch the meeting indoors at Bercy, as soon as the POPB is ready. The Areva Meeting participates in this federal desire. It is a showcase of athletics and high level. Everyone comes, the best athletes of course, but also the public, with 50.000 spectators.
What's in it for you?
The event is slightly surplus, we are not losing money thanks to the support of Areva. It exists thanks to this partner. But this meeting is not about money for us. We need it to promote our image and that of athletics. And, ultimately, find new resources. It is also for this reason that we decided, this year, to accompany the meeting with a pole vaulting demonstration, organized a week earlier at the Trocadéro. An exhibition that we will continue next year. We also plan to organize other events of the same type, to bring athletics to the public.
Does the FFA currently have the desire to apply for the organization of major international events?
We obtained the organization of the European cross-country championships in 2015 in Paray-le-Monial. And we have other plans. In mind, a candidacy for the European team championships in 2017. It must be submitted very soon. We also have, in the pipeline, the desire to host the European Championships after 2018. But for that we would need an athletics stadium with 30.000 seats. The Stade de France might be a little too big for a continental event, but we will still think about it and observe what the Germans will do in 2018. They obtained the organization of the European Championships, in Berlin, and want to use the Olympic stadium for this. We're going to get closer to them and see how they're doing.
No global projects?
No. The cost of a global event has increased far too much. In 2003, the budget for the World Cup at the Stade de France was around 60 million euros. Today, the constraints are heavier, in particular it is necessary to integrate the bonuses paid to athletes. A world championship now costs between 80 and 90 million euros.
