Baku 2015 European Games: Dates, Event Schedule, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview
The inaugural European Games gets under way on Friday in Azerbaijan, as Baku plays host to approximately 6,000 athletes from 50 countries for the multi-sport event.
The 2015 extravaganza —the European Olympic Committee's answer to the already-established Asian Games—will see athletes compete in 30 disciplines across 20 sports.
Set to see high-profile competitors in everything from cycling to boxing to karate, many of the events will present an opportunity for qualification to 2016's Rio Olympics.
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Read on for a preview as the European Games makes its debut, as well as full scheduling details and television information.
Dates: Friday, June 12 to Sunday, June 28
TV Info: Watch the Games live on BT Sport (UK)
Live Stream: BT Sport Player
Event Schedule: Full schedule of events available via Baku2015.com
Preview
There will be a string of established Olympic sports on show in Baku in late June—16 to be exact, including badminton, gymnastics and wrestling—while a few new events will be on show.
The European Games will include experimental events karate, basketball 3x3, beach soccer and sambo, with Baku a testing ground as to how they fare among the other, more established sports.
In 12 of the the participating sports, qualification to Rio will be available, either directly or by offering up additional ranking points.
There is a slight concern over the attraction of the European Games' swimming and athletics programmes—two of the big draws for such an event—with both having competing Games occurring in the same year, and thus the field is lacking in quality.
However, there is set to be a full athletics programme on June 21 and 22 at Baku's new 68,000-capacity stadium, while swimming will take place throughout the event at the state-of-the-art aquatics centre.
Other sports are set to have big names on show, though, and the likes of Great Britain and Russia are sending out large contingents—160 and 350 athletes respectively, per BBC Sport's David McDaid.
Team GB's athletes are led by London 2012 women's boxing gold medallist Nicola Adams, who is set to carry the flag at the event.
A hugely popular figure from London's wildly successful Olympics, Adams is clearly eager to compete in Baku, per McDaid:
"It will be great to compete again in the Team GB vest and I am really looking forward to the European Games. I have a very good track record in multi-sports events and I hope this will be another enjoyable experience and useful preparation for the Olympics in Rio next year.
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Rio in 2016 will be in the minds of most of the athletes in Baku, with preparations needing to be made, and qualification to be won.
The European Games seemingly offers a prime opportunity to lay down a marker ahead of next year's Olympics at a similar type of event with medals at stake.
Indeed, 253 gold medals are on the line over the 16 days of competition, as well as terrific experience in the multi-sport environment with some fine athletes on show.
The opening ceremony kicks everything off on Friday, with Baku2015 offering some indication as to what is in store:
It is set to be a spectacular occasion that should set the tone for over two weeks of fierce competition between Europe's athletes.
A debutant is always likely to have nerves, and the European Games is surely no different. But the hope is that it can rise to the occasion and produce a spectacle for athletes and spectators alike to enjoy.
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