Everything is ready for the start of the European Multi-Sport Championships in Munich. From Thursday 11 to Sunday 21 August, athletes from nine Olympic disciplines (sport climbing, athletics, beach volleyball, canoe sprint, rowing, track and road cycling, BMX freestyle and mountain bike, artistic gymnastics, volleyball, triathlon) will battle it out to secure a place on the podium and perhaps the continental title. 

A total of some 4,700 athletes representing 50 countries are expected for what will be the largest multi-sport event hosted by Germany since the 1972 Olympic Games, the 50th anniversary of which falls this summer.For the occasion, Casa Italia Collection was inaugurated in the presence of the Italian Ambassador in Berlin, Armando Varricchio, who was present with the Consul General of Italy in Munich, Enrico De Agostini.

Casa Italia Collection was attended by the President of the Italian Rowing Federation, Giuseppe Abbagnale, together with the athletes of the Azzurro Eight: Vincenzo Abbagnale, Cesare Gabbia, Emanuele Gaetani Liseo, Marco Di Costanzo, Matteo Castaldo, Giuseppe Vicino, Leonardo Pietra Caprina, and coxswain Enrico D'Aniello, the President of the Italian Triathlon Federation, Riccardo Giubilei, and the Vice-President of the Italian Gymnastics Federation, Rosario Pitton, who led the artistic gymnastics 'Fairies': Giorgia Villa, Martina Maggio, Angela Andreoli and twins Alice and Asia D'Amato. Cyclists Francesco Lamon and Liam Bertazzo could not be absent, along with the Italian women riders Letizia Paternoster and Martina Fidanza.

The 'Casa Italia Collection' format, owned by CONI, will be for the athletes of the nine Olympic disciplines and the Italian delegations in Munich an organisational asset that will combine communication and meeting needs before and after the competitionsMeanwhile, the event's opening ceremony took place in the wonderful Olympiapark. Stilt-walkers, dundu puppets and light effects created a fairy-tale atmosphere and made the eyes of curious onlookers and fans who came to the performance sparkle. German rock band Sportfreunde Stiller rocked out with their new single Spektakulär (Spectacular), and then it was the turn of rapper Marteria, brass band Moop Mama and Marie Spaemann's cello.

The competitions start tomorrow, Thursday 11 August, with the women's all-around individual finals of artistic gymnastics, the women's lead and men's bouldering qualifiers of sport climbing, the men's and women's BMX freestyle qualifiers as well as the track cycling qualifiers and the first rowing batteries. The wait is over: the Munich show can begin.