New ‘DNA’ competition will see secondary schools in head-to-head athletics championship event

Next week on Thursday, May 22, Gibraltar Athletics will be holding the inaugural Dynamic New Athletics (DNA) competition, which will see athletes from Bayside School, Westside School, and Prior Park School go head-to-head in the very first inter-school DNA Championships to be held on the rock.
“DNA, is an innovative, team-based competition concept for athletics created by European Athletics to complement the classical athletics format. The aim of the DNA project is to bring the sport into the 21st century, enhancing it with a new dimension targeting the younger audience and participant groups. It combines traditional track and field athletics with modern innovations, including mixed-gender teams, timed challenges, and dynamic scoring systems that keep the competition alive until the final event.
“DNA integrates modified rules, that can be adapted for every level of competition while remaining true to the essence of athletics. Key features include:
· Mixed gender teams.
· Mixed relays
· A compact programme of interchangeable disciplines.
· Head-to-head competition in the field events with every attempt counting towards the team score.
· The Hunt
“Team’s results remain open and unpredictable until the final competition discipline.
“Points will be awarded to teams based on their winning position and at the end of the competition, all points earned by a team will be added and the team with the highest number of points will start the Hunt in first position, the team with the second highest number of points will start in second position, etc. The second team with the highest number of points will have a start time penalty of 2.5 seconds, the third team will have a start time penalty of 5 seconds, etc. The Hunt will comprise of a mixed gender relay and the winner of the Hunt will be declared the winner of the Inter-School DNA Championships.
Taking place at the Lathbury Athletics Sports Complex, this landmark event marks a new chapter in school athletics in Gibraltar, encouraging student-athletes to push their limits in a fun, competitive environment. More than just a competition, the inter-school DNA Championships aim to foster school spirit, teamwork, and a love of sport while showcasing the future of athletics on the Rock.”