Welcome to the 22nd Annual Congress of the ECSS Welcome to MetropolisRuhr On behalf of the European College of Sport Science and the University Alliance Ruhr, we welcome you to Essen for the 22nd Annual Con-gress of the ECSS. The University Alliance Ruhr consists of three Universities: The Ruhr University Bochum, the TU Dortmund University, and the University of Duisburg-Essen. The Ruhr Area is not only Germany’s largest academic hub, but also an epicentre of innovation that fosters close interac-tion between academia and the private sector. The University Alliance Ruhr offers a broad variety of cutting-edge research that transcends disciplinary borders and achieves international recognition. More than 110,000 students, of which 15,000 are international, as well as over 8,000 researchers study and work within the University Alliance Ruhr universities. When combined, the Faculty of Sport Science at the Ruhr University Bochum, the Department of Sport and Sport Science at the TU Dort-mund University, and the Institute of Sport and Movement Sciences of the University of Duisburg-Essen are one of the strongest places for Sport Science in Germany. Approximately 3,500 students follow a Bachelor or Master programme in Sport Science at one of the named universities. More than 15 professors are engaged in multiple research topics covering the areas of Physiology & Sports Medicine, Biome-chanics & Neuromuscular, Social Sciences & Humanities, as well as Applied Training & Exercise Science. Our conference topic “Sport Science in a Metropolitan Area” reflects the role of sport and physical activity in the Ruhr area, which is one of the largest multicultural urban agglomerations in the world and is heavily coined by industry. This environment results in tremendous sport scientific challenges, including the broad range from Inactivity to intense physical stress, the trend of increased Individuality in lifestyle and physical activity, as well as the Inclusion of minorities. Historically, some high-performance sports, such as professional football, have been an important factor to strengthen the people’s Identification with our region. These topics will run as a thread through the congress and will be taken up by the four plenary sessions. The ECSS MetropolisRuhr 2017 brings together people from all over the world, and provides a platform for an exchange of views and new research ideas. As young investigators are the future key-players in sport-scientific research, the ECSS MetropolisRuhr 2017 will specifically attract and warmly welcome highly motivated early stage researchers. We therefore provide instructional workshops and satellites, as well as several young investigator awards, and we initiated a new presentation format, the 1st ECSS Sport Science Slam. Due to excellent submissions, we were able to build an outstanding scientific programme consisting of four plenary sessions and 37 invited and exchange symposia on current topical issues in the field of sport-scientific research. 1,750 abstracts have been submitted from 60 coun-tries. 1,600 abstracts were selected for the final programme and were allocated to 112 oral, 41 mini-oral and 30 conventional poster sessions, or assigned to e-poster presentations. Out of these contributions, 61 oral and 25 mini-oral presentations were selected for the finals of the ECSS Young Investigators Award (YIA). A congress is not only an opportunity for transfer of knowledge, but also a chance to grab the spirit of the hosting country and its people. In the area of MetropolisRuhr, there has been a huge transformation from an area of coal mining and steel production to a modern metropolis of the 21st century. Come and visit the famous “Grugapark” near to the Congress Center Essen (CCE) which is free of charge for congress participants. In this place, one can find a botanical garden with rare and beautiful plants, restaurants, bars, as well as a health facility and spa. It only takes you a mere five-minute-walk from the CCE and you are in the middle of the popular dining and nightlife area “Rüttenscheider Straße”, where local pubs invite you to linger after a long and busy congress day. If you like to learn more about Germany, we will recom-mend you to visit the city of Cologne and other spots in the region of North-Rhine Westphalia. Just ask our volunteers who are pleased to assist you. Enjoy the Congress, enjoy MetropolisRuhr! Petra Platen & Alexander Ferrauti Congress Presidentsweiterlesen