End clap on the European Games. Baku closed the continental event on Sunday evening at the Olympic Stadium, as it had opened it seventeen days earlier. With a closing ceremony without a false note, gently festive, but just bombastic enough to be remembered. According to the official figure, difficult to verify, 10.000 fireworks were set off in the skies of Azerbaijan. According to another figure, cited by state television AzTV, the party was watched by a billion viewers around the world.
“Seventeen days of celebration,” summed up Patrick Hickey, the president of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), when taking stock of these first European Games. No one will dispute it, Azerbaijan lived up to expectations. The event often resembled a very slightly miniature version of the Olympic Games. The ranking of medals reflects this, classic and credible: Russia crushed the competition, with 164 medals including 79 gold, Azerbaijan took advantage of the home advantage to offer itself an improbable breakthrough until the second place (56 medals including 21 gold), the other great powers follow in good order (Great Britain, Germany, France and Italy). No complaints.
One question remains: what happens next? For the European Games, Patrick Hickey is unreservedly optimistic. The Netherlands may have thrown in the towel, but the 2019 edition is not threatened. The Irish leader, also a member of the IOC Executive Board, claims to be in contact “with 6 or 7 potential candidates”. He even suggests that two cities are already in the running to host the Games in 2023. To see. The application process will remain secret, as will the files, but a decision should be made before the end of the year.
For Azerbaijan, the outcome looks less precise. In Baku, the announcement of a candidacy for the 2024 Olympic Games was expected for the last day of the European Games. She was rejected. Azad Rahimov, the Minister of Sports, has been explaining for several days that the country will take the time to analyze the effects and impact of the European event before deciding. The head of state, Ilham Aliyev, has not yet spoken out. The decision belongs to him, and undoubtedly to him alone.
For Patrick Hickey, the outcome of the debate is in no doubt. “Azerbaijan will announce its candidacy very soon,” he announced on Sunday June 28, even before the closing ceremony. In such a scenario, his European Games show of strength would make him a serious contender. Baku has already risked an Olympic candidacy twice, for 2016 and 2020. In both cases, the IOC kindly sent it to the back of the class, when putting together its shortlist. The cause is a lack of experience with major international events and too few sports facilities. This time she has it all.
