Europe is a continent rooted in sports. Every year, crowds in droves go to attend and witness epic competitive spirits rise in action as teams or players compete for the ultimate prize. If you are a sport fanatic and enjoy sporting events in general, here are the top 7 sporting events you should know about that will take place in 2016.
1) French Open
The French Open, or the Garros Roland, is one of the four biggest Grand Slam tournaments in tennis, together with US Open, Australian Open, and Wimbledon, and attended by scores of spectators as they watch their favourite tennis players stand off against each other in clay courts. Make your way to the French Open tennis tournament and watch some of the biggest tennis stars participate and compete for the top prize. Players, such as Roger Frederer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and others, display their competitive spirits and skills to score points.
The 3 week long tournament starts from 22 May and lasts until the beginning of June. Ticket prices rise for every consecutive game. The price for the first match starts from $330 and goes all the way up to $990. So you think your favourite player is going to win the French Open? Buy tickets for matches including the finals to watch out!
2) The UEFA Champions League Finals
One of the things all Europeans have in common is their unquenched thirst for football. It is the sport that has grown to be spoken as a language and is endeared by thousands of fans from the British Isles to Asian-neighboring countries of Russia and Turkey, and nothing unites all of Europe under one sport than the UEFA Champions League, one of the biggest sporting events of the year. Crowds in their thousands roar in support of their favourite national league teams as team players display their best talents with the ball in this competition.
The winner of the UEFA Champions League goes on to qualify for the UEFA FA Cup, as well as the FIFA World Cup.
The round of games starts from early September and last until 28th August. If you have been looking to get the best action from the finals, be sure to purchase the tickets quickly to reserve you seat among thousands of passionate football lovers.
3) Tour de France
Apart from tennis and football, there is plenty of other sporting events that are attended by thousands of fans. The Tour de France is an event that is one of the highlights of sports. In these bicycle race competitions, more than twenty, 9-rider teams participate in grueling racing tracks and terrains. Riders from different teams compete in flat surfaces, medium mountain tracks, and high mountain tracks.
The history of the event dates by to the early 20th century when Henry Desgrange, a French cyclist and journalist, sponsored the first ever race in 1903 for advertising purposes. The event became so successful that it became an annual event of France and held every year since then, apart from the years during World Wars 1 and 2.
Scheduled to take place in Manche department for the very first time in France, the 2016 Tour de France will also include a track extending to Andorra, Finhaut Emosson, Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, and Mont Ventoux. If you want to witness the action from Tour de France, be sure to look for the racing track and make your way to the finishing line to celebrate the winning racer.
4) Saracens V Harlequins
Batman may be facing off against Superman in the upcoming DC movie this year. But, a contest that you can actually witness is the men’s rugby match between Harlqeuins and the union champions of Saracens for the Aviva Premiership in Wembley Stadium on 16th April.
Watch the epic standoff in this rugby match as players turn into Roman gladiators and show exceptional physical abilities to score points with the ball. The Wembley Stadium has hosted 3 record crowds consecutively. Choose tickets for seats either in the Bobby Moore area at £80 per seat, or the Club Wembley area at £45 per seat.
Tickets will be sold out in a matter of time, so be sure to buy them as soon as possible if you want to catch the adrenaline pumping spirit of rugby.
5) 2016 European Weightlifting Championships
The annual European Weightlifting Championships of 2016 marks one of the most sought after sporting events in Europe. The event is arranged by the European Weightlifting Federation (EWF), and will have Eleiko, SFE, FIRDA, and Frydenbo Bilsenter as its main sponsors. The Championships, taking place between 10 and 16 April in Førde, Norway, will involve teams from various European countries compete for Olympic medals of gold, silver and bronze.
The region of Førde itself is a city of 13,000 inhabitants and has two reputable hotels in the city centre. The hotels are a 10 minute walk from the main venue, which is located in the cultural and sport house of Førdehuset.
If you want to attend contestants display their strength in weight competitions, be sure to register and buy tickets early.
6) 2016 FIL World Luge Championships
The World Luge Championships is another spectacular event to watch out for. The event, which is organized by the International Luge Federation (FIL), takes place in the Germany city of Königssee on 30 and 31 January. The Championship events have been organized almost every year since 1955. Contestants compete in Olympic style fashion, consisting of gold, silver, and bronze medals.
In the last Championship event, Germany won the most gold medals (32) in the singles tournaments, followed by Austria (4), and Poland (2).
7) 2016 IIHF World Championship
The International Ice Championship event taking place in Russia, is another spectacular event you should definitely not miss. This centuries old game began in the middle of the 19th century in Canada and was quickly popularized as a major sport. In Europe, however, the first ice hockey games started in 1902, leading France and Belgium to participate in two international ice-hockey games three years later.
Today, ice hockey is no longer viewed as a Canadian sport. Thousands of Europeans attend ice hockey games, and the 2016 World Championship event is one of the many sporting events you will never forget.