The COVID-19 has also attacked athletics, like everything else, but the 70th Zagreb Meeting – WA Continental Tour Gold will survive in the circumstances that will certainly go down in history as peculiar. The basis of everything is caution – by all for all. It’s the least we can do in this moment to help everything go on.
To protect everybody, a safety behaviour protocol based on the instructions issued by the World Athletics and the Croatian health authorities has been developed for all persons who will be part of the Meeting. Dr. Marina Banović has been appointed the Meeting’s chief health official.
The numerous safety instructions, printed on 11 pages, include, among other things:
– Masks shall be worn by everybody everywhere, except for the athletes on the track and in the field.
– Special movement protocols for athletes, coaches and officials have been developed.
– Athletes will only be allowed to come to Zagreb with a negative COVID-19 test result not older than 48 hours, except in exceptional circumstances.
– There will be no official dinners and socializing, there will be a minimum number of spectators in Mladost stadium and none at the shot put event at the Zagreb fountains.
– Close contacts of athletes with other persons at the meeting will not be possible, except for medical officials if necessary. Only the doping control staff will have a room in the stadium. There will be no use of changing rooms, lockers and showers in the stadium.
– In the track events that use starting blocks, the blocks will be disinfected, as will be hurdles. In the high jump, the mat and bar will need to be disinfected between jumps.
– IMPORTANT FOR THE AUDIENCE: There will be a limited number of tickets available for sale because of the epidemiological circumstances. When picking up tickets, each person will receive a form, which needs to be filled out with the requested personal information and returned on entry to the stadium. The data collection is aimed at a clear record of persons who will be in the stadium in accordance with the epidemiological situation, which requires it. Without consent and return of the form, entry to the stadium will not be possible.
– IMPORTANT FOR THE MEDIA: Due to the new circumstances, the number of journalists will be limited. Foreign journalists and photographers will only be allowed to come with a negative COVID-19 test result not older than 48 hours. The media centre will be on the grand stand only. All journalists will receive a detailed guide on the behaviour in exceptional circumstances. There will be no post-event press conferences and journalists will receive statements of the best athletes via video link. A maximum of 12 photographers will be allowed to the field. Like everybody else, journalists will also have to wear masks, despite being outdoors.
– All media representatives will have to apply for accreditation using an online form by 5 September. The media will be informed about the approved accreditations by no later than 12 September. We would like to emphasize that the number of journalists will be limited. Press accreditations will be distributed in an outdoor area of Mladost stadium one day prior to the Meeting, on 14 September, at 10 a.m. The official pre-event press conference will be held in the presence of a limited number of journalists in an outdoor area of Mladost Stadium one day prior to the Meeting, on 14 September, at 10 a.m.