IT is just 200 days until the opening of the biggest sporting event in Scotland since the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The first European Championships will see around 3000 athletes compete in six sports at 12 venues across Scotland.

They will host 84 sessions in athletics, cycling, golf, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon.

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The new multi-sport event is set to celebrate the country’s young talent coinciding with the Year of Young People.

One of them will be BMX racer Mia Paton, 18, from Glasgow who will benefit from the new Olympic standard BMX track being built at Knightswood Park which will host Europe’s best bike racers during the championships.

Fraser Lynes, 14, a gymnast from East Ayrshire who studies and trans at Glasgow School of Sport, believes the Glasgow 2018 competition at the Hydro will encourage more people into gymnastics.

City council Susan Aitken said: “The Glasgow 2018 European Championships promises to be a fantastic platform to inspire, engage and celebrate young people, from sports fans and athletes to artists, performers and volunteers.

“In 200 days, Glasgow and Scotland will come alive with an unforgettable display of sport and culture and that is a must-attend, must-watch event for 2018.”

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Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop, said 2018 would mark a milestone year for Scotland.

She added: “In just 200 days we will make sporting history on the global stage when we host the first ever European Championships and in Scotland’s Year of Young People, celebrate the outstanding spirit and contribution of our young people.

“The feats of sporting skill and the cultural brilliance showcased at the Championships will inspire the whole country and allow Scotland and its young people to shine on the world stage.”

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The championships will bring together the existing European Championships for aquatics, cycling, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon with a new golf team championships and athletics hosted in Berlin.

To be staged every four years, they will be an 11 day celebration of world-class sport and will have a 10 day broadcast schedule with an audience of up to one billion people.