2018 Mediterranean Games Explained

XVIII Mediterranean Games
Host City:	Tarragona
Country:	Spain
Edition:	18th
Nations:	26
Debuting Countries:	Kosovo Portugal
Athletes:	3,648
Sports:	28
Events:	244
Opening:	22 June 2018
Closing:	1 July 2018
Opened By:	Felipe VI of Spain
Stadium:	Nou Estadi
Previous:	2013 Mersin
Next:	2022 Oran

The 2018 Mediterranean Games (Catalan; Valencian: Jocs Mediterranis de 2018, Spanish; Castilian: Juegos Mediterráneos de 2018), officially known as the XVIII Mediterranean Games (Catalan; Valencian: XVIII Jocs Mediterranis, Spanish; Castilian: XVIII Juegos Mediterráneos) and commonly known as Tarragona 2018, was an international multi-sport event held from 22 June to 1 July 2018 in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. Tarragona was announced as the host city at the ICMG General Assembly in Mersin, Turkey, on 15 October 2011.

Bidding process

The host city was announced during the ICMG General Assembly scheduled which took place in Mersin, Turkey (host of the 2013 Mediterranean Games) on 15 October 2011.^[1] The final candidates were Alexandria and Tarragona, where Tarragona won the vote 36–34.^[2]

Alexandria, Egypt^[3]

Alexandria hosted the first Mediterranean Games and planned to build a new Olympic Village for the 2017 Mediterranean Games in the iconic South Mediterranean city.

Tarragona, Spain^[4]

Under the motto "History making history", Tarragona planned to take the Games to Spain for the third time after the 1955 Mediterranean Games in Barcelona and the 2005 Mediterranean Games in Almería.

2018 Mediterranean Games bidding results
City	NOC	Round 1
Tarragona		36
Alexandria		34

Development and preparation

The International Committee of the Mediterranean Games (ICMG) announced in November 2016 that Tarragona was postponing its hosting of the Mediterranean Games from 2017 to 2018 due to funding problems caused by Spanish political and economical instability.^[5]

Some doubts were expressed in 2017 about the holding of the games due to the 2017 Spanish constitutional crisis after the Catalan government unilaterally declared independence on 27 October.^[6] ^[7] ^[8]

Marketing

Tarracus, a humanoid character wearing a Roman helmet, was unveiled as the mascot for 2018 Mediterranean Games in May 2016.^[9] The pattern on the helmet plume is based on the flag of Tarragona.

The Games

Sports

The 2018 Mediterranean Games sports program featured 28 sports encompassing 244 events. The number of events in each discipline is noted in parentheses. Triathlon was the only new sport added to the Mediterranean Games program. Equestrian and Golf came back after being absent in Mersin. Disabled events were held in swimming and athletics. Basketball tournament was held in the 3x3 format. Boxing and football were only men's events, while Rhythmic Gymnastics was women's only. The number in paratheses next to the sport is the number of medal events per sport.

Participating nations

The 2018 Mediterranean Games were the first Games in which Kosovo was eligible to participate.

Calendar

●	Opening ceremony	●	Competitions	●	Event finals	●	Closing ceremony

Sport	22nd Fri	23rd Sat	24th Sun	25th Mon	26th Tue	27th Wed	28th Thu	29th Fri	30th Sat	1st Sun
	June / July
Ceremonies	●									●
Archery	●	●	4
Artistic gymnastics		●	2	2	10
Athletics						5	7	11	12
Badminton		●	●	2	2
Basketball						●	●	2
							●	●	2
Bowls							●	4	5
Boxing				●	●	●	●	●	9
Canoeing		●	5
						2			2
Equestrian						1		1
Fencing			2	2
Football	●		●		●		●	●	1
Golf				●	●	●	4
Handball		●	●	●	●	●	●	●	1	1
Judo						5	5	4
		7	3
								●	1
							●	●	6
		●	●	●	●	●	●	4
Shooting		2	4
		13	13	14
Table tennis					●	●	2	●	2
Taekwondo							3	3	2
Tennis					●	●	●	2	2
Triathlon		2
Volleyball	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	2
Water polo						●	●	●	1	1
Water skiing		●	2
		4	6	4	6	4
Wrestling			●	5	4	5
Total	0	28	41	29	22	22	21	31	46	4
Cumulative Total	0	28	69	98	120	142	163	194	240	244
	June / July
Sport	22nd Fri	23rd Sat	24th Sun	25th Mon	26th Tue	27th Wed	28th Thu	29th Fri	30th Sat	1st Sun

Medal table

Source: Medal Standings

Broadcasting

Territory	Broadcaster	Ref
Albania	RTSH
Algeria	EPTV
Andorra and Spain		^[10] ^[11]
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia	HRT
Cyprus	CyBC
France
Greece	ERT
Italy	RAI
	MRT
MENA
Montenegro	RTCG
Morocco	SNRT
Portugal
San Marino	RAI
Serbia	RTS
Slovenia	RTV Slovenija
Tunisia	ERTT
Turkey	TRT