Sports programme

The Mediterranean Games is a competition that brings together 23 countries from Europe, Africa and Asia. This is the reason why the symbol for the Games is three rings, which represent the three continents. The rings dissolve in a wave at their base, as if they were immersed in the Mediterranean.

The Games are held every four years in the year following the Olympic Games. The first edition was held in 1951, in Alexandria, thanks to the initiative of an Egyptian Doctor in Political Sciences called Taher Pasha. Pasha wanted to turn the competition into a symbol of peace during a period that was tarnished with the tension that existed between the superpowers. Since then, fifteen editions have been held. The next Games are to be held in Pescara, Italy, in 2009, and in Volosand Larissa, Greece, in 2013.

The sports programme of the Mediterranean Games, like that of the Olympic Games, has evolved with time. Tarragona 2017 presents a proposal that is based on the experience of Almería 2005, which saw an increase in the number of disciplines compared to the previous edition four years before in Tunis.

Always in accordance with the criteria established by the International Committee for the Mediterranean Games (ICMG) such as whether the different sports are established in the region, and the minimum number of participants required for each discipline, Tarragona 2017 has prepared a list of 29 specialities in its initial proposal, among which the most notable is the incorporation of the Triathlon as a novelty sport.