Major Event: Metropolis of Sports | Heidenheim newspaper

What was introduced in 2019 sounds attractive at first: a multi-sport event in which several sports take place at the same time and, if possible, in close proximity to their German championships. Small Olympia, so to speak, on a national level. This weekend the time has come for the third time: The so-called “Finals” are returning to Berlin after their premiere three years ago, after the capital shared the 2021 orientation with the Ruhr area.

14 sports, from 3×3 basketball to triathlon, will compete in the competitions from June 23rd to 26th; some, such as fencing, rowing and trampolining for the first time, others such as the core sport of track and field, were featured from the outset at the primarily televised event.

ARD and ZDF are busy broadcasting: 30 hours of live TV and an extensive streaming offer have been announced. This is best enjoyed from the armchair in front of the TV, because the paths between the individual sports facilities are in the metropolis. Triathlon, archery or the modern pentathlon, which is held without riding, offers free entry on site. Others note unusual reluctance on the part of the fans.

There are several reasons for this: With the number of corona infections increasing again, indoor events in particular are not yet comfortable for everyone. As an exciting alternative for a sports holiday in your own country, the European Championships in August 2022 in Munich, where even continental crowns are awarded, are also available.

Back from the World Cup in a hurry

Some of the problems of the “Finals” are homemade. In order to accommodate all disciplines in the program, some have to switch to less attractive times. Most people don’t have the time outside of the holidays to admire flights of fancy like those of the trampoline gymnasts on a morning during the week.

The importance of the title fights has also dropped in places. Traditionally, in addition to the champions and medal winners, those who were supposed to represent the German colors at the European Championships, World Championships or, if applicable, the Olympic Games were also determined in previous years. The appointment is not suitable for all sectors.

The sports gymnasts, for example, have just returned from the surprisingly successful European Championships, for the gymnasts the test date is still too early in view of Munich, which is why record champion Elisabeth Seitz or balance beam queen Pauline Schäfer will not compete on all apparatus. The swimmers are already crawling at the World Championships in Budapest this week; breast specialists Lucas Matzerath and Anna Elendt, who shone with silver in the 100-meter distance, are among those who take the stress out of rushing back to jump into the pool at the Europasportpark again on Sunday. Maybe then, despite the heavy workload, a title can still be saved, since others have already swum away because of the overlapping dates.

Forgoing the “finals” is out of the question due to the unusually large television stage in this country for disciplines that are often viewed as marginal sports in a footballing country. It is better to bend to meet the needs. The canoeists have designed a new format for their performance: in speed polo, two teams of four players paddle against each other in one-man kayaks and have to try to get the ball into the opponent’s goal. An attack can last a maximum of 30 seconds.