Sport Austria Finals: Crowning State Champions in Graz for the Third Consecutive Year

Around 6,500 athletes will take part, the organizers are hoping for 30,000 to 50,000 spectators with free entry for all competitions – depending on the weather, because many of the competitions take place outdoors. This year there are 19 venues.

“Small Olympic Games”

For Sports City Councilor Kurt Hohensinner (ÖVP), it is the “small Olympic Games” for which Graz 2021 was allowed to be “midwife” during the CoV pandemic – at that time the “test gallop”, according to Hohensinner, was still without spectators and with around 3,500 athletes across the stage.

Sport Austria President Hans Niessl emphasized that people feel welcome in Graz, even though the finals in 2024 and 2025 will be held in Innsbruck. Graz has created something “unique”, the sports facilities such as the Raiffeisen Sportpark or Karmeliterplatz are impressive: “It’s Olympic flair again in Graz.”

multisport event

The Sport Austria Finals are the largest multisport event in Austria. In 2023, table football, taekwondo, swimming and inline hockey, among others, are new. Participation Friday is also new: Families are invited to put their sporting skills to the test at Karmeliterplatz – for example, a ninja course and an electric vaulting horse await.

Spectacular – as in 2022 – is likely to be the luge on the Schloßberg in Graz: As in the previous year, the athletes will start at the clock tower and race down around 550 meters at up to 100 km/h in the direction of Karmeliterplatz.

Selected competitions will be broadcast

In 2022, around 20,000 overnight stays were booked with the Austria Finals in Graz, around 180,000 people watched 73 streams live via SportPass. Selected competitions will also be broadcast this year both on ORF and on SportPass; there is also a live studio with the best scenes of the day every evening from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Well-known faces are also among the athletes – including speed skater Vanessa Herzog.