European Athletics Championships

The Olympic Stadium "Spyros Louis" is inaugurated by the President of the Hellenic Republic, Konstantinos Karamanlis. Athens hosts the top Athletics event in Europe, in an effort to prove its competency in hosting the Olympic Games' return to Greece, their birthplace. The European Athletics Championships begin today with the presence of the President of the Republic Konstantinos Karamanlis and thew Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou in the 80,000-seat recently built stadium. At the 13th Games, Anna Verouli wins gold in javelin, with a throw of 70m.02cm, while Sofia Sakorafa wins the bronze medal. The tournament's successful outcome convinces UEFA to assign the organizing of the following year’s Final of Champions League to Athens (Hamburg – Juventus 1-0).