Following the announcement in October 2021 that the next edition of the European Athletics Team Championships would be part the European Games 2023, a change in format to the competition has been agreed by the European Athletics Council.
The European Athletics Team Championships will now consist of three divisions, whereas formerly it was four leagues.
The Championships take place on consecutive days between 20-25 June 2023&nbsp;at the Slaski Stadium in the Region of Silesia, which was also the venue for the 2021 European Athletics Team Championships Super League.
The 1st Division will consist of 16 teams, the 2nd Division will also have 16 teams, and the 3rd Division will be made up of the remaining teams entered from European Athletics&rsquo; Member Federations.
In order to enhance the TV and spectator engagement in the Championships and maximise the promotional opportunities across the entire continent and beyond,&nbsp;all the divisions&nbsp;will be take place during the European Games 2023 and over six days at the same venue.
<ul>
<li>Day 1 to Day 3 (20-22 June 2023): 3rd Division will take place in the morning sessions and the 2nd Division in the evening sessions.&nbsp; &nbsp;</li>
<li>Day 4 to Day 6 (23-25 June 2023): 1st Division will take place in the evening sessions.</li>
</ul>
The European Athletics Team Championships groupings for 2023 are as follows:
<ul>
<li>1st Division: Poland, Italy , Great Britain &amp; NI, Germany , Spain, France, Portugal, Czech Republic, Belarus*, Netherlands, Switzerland, Türkiye, Finland, Sweden, Greece and Belgium. </li>
<li>2nd Division: Norway, Romania, Estonia, Hungary, Denmark, Slovenia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Latvia, Croatia, Iceland, Serbia, Cyprus, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. </li>
<li>3rd Division: Luxembourg, Bosnia &amp; Herzegovina, Malta, Montenegro, Georgia, Armenia, Andorra, Republic of North Macedonia, San Marino, Albania, AASSE (Athletic Association of Small States of Europe), Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Austria, Ireland, Israel and the Russian Federastion*.</li>
</ul>
The distribution and listed order of teams was based on the results of the European Athletics Team Championships 2021.
* Participation of Belarus and the Russian Federation is subject to the lifting of the current sanctions.

European Athletics Team Championships format changes for 2023

European Athletics announced on Wednesday (27) that all divisions of the European Athletics Team Championships will be part of the European Games 2023.&nbsp;
The European Athletics Team Championships is the world&rsquo;s premier&nbsp;team competition between nations, with promotion and relegation&nbsp;at stake between the various divisions.
As part of the agreement between European Athletics and the European Olympic Committees, all divisions of the Team Championships will be contested back-to-back at the Slaski Stadium in the Region of Silesia the venue for the 2021 European Athletics Team Championships Super League &ndash; with the concept &lsquo;under one roof&rsquo; thus providing a feast of top-class European team athletics.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
European Athletics Interim President, Dobromir Karamarinov,&nbsp;said: &ldquo;We have been discussing&nbsp;with the&nbsp;European Olympic Committees&nbsp;for some time now about&nbsp;integrating&nbsp;the European Athletics Team Championships&nbsp;to&nbsp;become&nbsp;a key part of the European Games in 2023. The European Athletics Council approved this move last month.
&ldquo;Now, thanks to the agreement with the European Olympic Committees and the local authorities in Silesia, with whom we already have an excellent relationship, we can continue&nbsp;with the detailed planning of the format of the championships and finding the right dates within the&nbsp;European Games&nbsp;window of 21 June to 2 July in 2023.
&ldquo;I would like to take this opportunity to thank the European Olympic Committees President Spyros Capralos for the positive and speedy discussions between our two organisations that have led to this agreement,&rdquo; concluded Karamarinov.&nbsp;
</blockquote>
European Athletics CEO, Christian Milz, said: &ldquo;The addition of the European Athletics Team Championships to the programme of the European Games 2023 is a &lsquo;win-win&rsquo; situation for both European Athletics and the European Olympic Committees. We will deliver a top-level team athletics competition, with exciting promotion and relegation battles between national teams, that provides a truly exciting athletics event for both television and spectators alike.&rdquo;&nbsp;
European Olympic Committees President, Spyros&nbsp;Capralos, said: &ldquo;Since 2015, we have been working closely with European Athletics to make sure we have the best athletics competition as part of the European Games programme. Thanks to their great cooperation, we have now found an outstanding solution for 2023 with the Team Championships and we are confident that the athletics competition in Poland will be one of the most popular events during the Games.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Chair of European Games Coordination Commission, Hasan Arat, said: &ldquo;It is fantastic news for us to welcome&nbsp;athletics back into the European Games programme. Now we will have the very best track and field athletes in Europe competing, and this is not only great for the Games, but it will also be very much appreciated by the passionate athletics fans in Poland.&rdquo;&nbsp;
The Marshal of Silesia, Jakub Chełstowski, said: &ldquo;I am delighted and honoured to announce that the Region of Silesia will once again be hosting European Athletics at the Slaski Stadium, this time in the form of the athletics at the forthcoming European Games in 2023. We already had a very successful cooperation with European Athletics when we welcomed the European Athletics Team Championships Super League this year and I know that the Polish athletics fans are already looking forward to seeing top-class athletes in action in 2023.&rdquo;
Discussions will now commence with the Spanish athletics federation about their hosting the 2025 European Athletics Team Championships Super League after they had been provisionally awarded the 2023 event in May this year prior to the advanced discussions with the European Olympic Committees.

European Athletics Team Championships to join the European Games in 2023

An impressive eight victories saw Hungary win the European Athletics Team Championships Second League in Stara Zagora in Bulgaria, sealing promotion to the First League along with Denmark and Slovenia on Sunday (20).
The Hungarian team racked up 255 points in the overall standings after 40 events, thanks to winning all of the women&rsquo;s 100m and 400m races - both individually and in the relays - as well as the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s 800m.
Men&rsquo;s sprint success accounted for three of Denmark&rsquo;s six victories with Kojo Musah taking the first victory in the men's 100m in 10.21. Musah then ran the second leg of their 4x100m team that triumphed in 39.40 before Simon Hansen, who ran the first leg of their 4x100m team, triumphed individually the following day with victory in the 200m in a lifetime best of 20.92.
Katrine Koch Jacobsen&rsquo;s 68.38m national record topped the women&rsquo;s hammer standings and multiple European U23 champion Anna Emilie M&oslash;ller winning the steeplechase in 9:49.93 in her first competitive race since 2019.
Slovenia were promoted in spite of their five victories being one fewer than both fourth and fifth placed finishers Lithuania and Bulgaria. However, their consistency across track and field was key for the side that won the first and last events through European indoor pole vault silver medallist Tina &Scaron;utej and the men&rsquo;s 4x400m relay quartet which was anchored by former European U23 champion Luka Janezic.
Austria and Israel did not take part due to issues surrounding coronavirus and consequently were relegated down to the Third League, as were Russia, who are still banned from competing internationally.
Sprinter Justina Csoti was particularly impressive for Hungary as she set an 11.65 personal best to take maximum points shortly after compatriot Mate Koroknai&rsquo;s 50.00 run had given their country a first victory of the event in the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles.
Csoti was later part of the quartet that won the women&rsquo;s 4x100m at the end of the first day in 44.38, two tenths ahead of Denmark and 1.2 seconds ahead of Slovenia, helping to cement the positions of the top three overnight. This is ultimately the way the standings stayed throughout the second day.
European U23 long jumper silver medallist Petra Farkas came in as the top-ranked athlete and she translated that form into results. However, second-best jumps were needed to separate her from Lithuania&rsquo;s Jogaile Petrokaite, as both athletes had a furthest mark of 6.43m. Farkas&rsquo; next longest effort of 6.40 was therefore crucial to securing Hungary&rsquo;s only field victory.
On the track, Bal&aacute;zs Vindics surged for home to leave Slovakia&rsquo;s Jan Vukovic with no reply with a time of 1:47.83, while the overall champions officially sealed their promotion by the time Evelin Nadhazy had helped her Hungarian 4x400m quartet cross the line first following her 52.85 one-lap win which was shared with Agnė &Scaron;erk&scaron;nienė as the pair ran the same time down to the thousandth of a second.
There was no need for Lithuania to share victory in the women&rsquo;s high jump though. The 2017 European indoor champion Airinė Pal&scaron;ytė settled into a great rhythm and managed to pull everything together to clear 1.93m at the final attempt, with home favourite Mirela Demireva coming away with a season&rsquo;s best of 1.91m and second place.
Pal&scaron;ytė&rsquo;s teammate and fellow national record-holder Edis Matusevičius lived up to his billing as the favourite in the men&rsquo;s javelin as he threw 83.00m in the final field event of the weekend.
Bulgarian fans in the Beroe Stadium particularly enjoyed the Olympic standard of 14.42m set by women&rsquo;s triple jump winner Gabriela Petrova, while Georgi Tsonov topped the men&rsquo;s equivalent with 16.35m.
Sixth-placed Slovakia&rsquo;s best performance came in the men&rsquo;s 400m with a personal best of 46.32 helping Simon Bujna just pip Luka Janezic on the line.
Latvia&rsquo;s only victory came through Mareks Arents in the men&rsquo;s pole vault. Having taken maximum points in Varazdin in 2019, the 34-year-old repeated the feat by equalling his 5.51m season&rsquo;s best, having been the last athlete to enter the competition at 5.10m.
Croatia won two events including discus success for European U23 champion Marija Tolj while Iceland finished ninth in the standings but with three wins. Dutch-based Hlynur Andresson set the ball rolling with a comfortable first-day 5000m win in 14:13.73. 
Baldvin Magnusson already had third in the 1500m to his name when he took to the 3000m start line on the second day and beat his rivals in a thrilling sprint finish to clock 8:01.56. European U20 bronze medallist Erna Soley Gunnarsdottir also won the shot put with 15.94m.
Full results are available <a href="https://stara-zagora21results.european-athletics.com/en/results/athletics/daily-schedule.htm">here.</a>

Eight victories inspire Hungary to Second League victory in Stara Zagora

Five-time European medallist Ivet Lalova-Collio will hope to lead the Bulgarian promotion charge on home soil at the European Athletics Team Championships Second League in Stara Zagora this weekend which will be streamed live on the European Athletics YouTube channel.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Including the European Cup which ran until 2008, Lalova-Collio is the most successful athlete in the competition's history across all divisions, racking up a remarkable sixteen victories stretching back to 2004. On that day in Plovdiv, Lalova-Collio set her 100m personal best of 10.77 aged just 20 to go equal second on the European all-time list before winning the 200m the following day in 22.58.&nbsp;
Now 37, Lalova-Collio will only contest the 200m individually in Stara Zagora and the world and European finalist will be looking to draw on all of her experience on the same track where she won a sprint double six years ago. Her biggest rival is likely to be European indoor 60m finalist Maja Mihalinec Zidar from Slovenia who will be looking to emulate Lalova-Collio in 2015 by completing the sprint double in Stara Zagora.
European discus champion Andrius Gudžius from Lithuania, who has thrown 68.62m this year, is another standout name to be competing at the Beroe Stadium as nine countries will be aiming to climb up to the First League by finishing in the top three in the overall standings.&nbsp;
By contrast, none of the participating nations this weekend will drop down into the Third League. Austria withdrew from the event citing coronavirus concerns and Israel also dropped out after one of their team members tested positive for coronavirus. As a consequence both teams will get automatically relegated from the Second League along with Russia who are still banned from competing internationally.&nbsp;
But despite a slightly depleted field, the men&rsquo;s discus will be one of the highlights of the weekend. European U23 champion Kristjan Čeh is ahead of Gudzius and second on this year&rsquo;s world list, with the Slovenian having broken his own European U23 record with a 69.52m effort last month. Iceland&rsquo;s Gu&eth;ni Valur Gudnason and Hungary&rsquo;s J&aacute;nos Husz&aacute;k have also surpassed the 65 metre-line this season, making it one of the highest quality events across the programme.
Joining Lalova-Collio as a local favourite is Olympic and European silver medallist Mirela Demireva. The women's high jump could be close, with the top five athletes separated by just five centimetres based on season&rsquo;s bests. Lithuania&rsquo;s former European indoor champion Airine Palsyte heads this list having cleared 1.90m this year compared to 1.88m for Demireva.&nbsp;
Croatia&rsquo;s 2014 European medallist Ana Simic, 13-time Hungarian champion Barbara Szabo, and Slovenian youngster Lia Apostolovski - who jumped 1.92m last summer - are also contenders for a full complement of points in Stara Zagora.&nbsp;
World University Games high jump winner Tihomir Ivanov is another perennially strong Bulgarian who triumphed in the First League in Vaasa, Finland in 2017. Three athletes managed the same feat in Sandnes in 2019 before their nations were ultimately relegated: Lithuanians Dovile Kilty (triple jump), Edis Matusevicius (javelin) and Slovakia&rsquo;s Martina Hrasnova (hammer throw).&nbsp;&nbsp;
Denmark's Olympic silver medallist Sara Slott Petersen will also hope to secure maximum points in the 400m hurdles. The 2016 European champion faces - among others - 2017 Second League winner Agata Zupin of Slovenia as well as Hungary's Janka Molnar, who has improved to 56.17 in 2021.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, Slott Petersen and her compatriot Anna Emilie M&oslash;ller make up a returning group of 12 who won when the third tier of this competition was held in Varaždin, Croatia in 2019. On her return to racing after injury, the latter lines up in the 3000m steeplechase, an event in which she has won two European U23 titles and holds the European U23 record with 9:13.46.
Another European U23 gold medallist involved is 21-year-old discus thrower Maria Tolj, the only athlete on the entry list who has thrown over 60 metres this year. The Croatian set a 63.39m lifetime best at the European Throwing Cup in Split in March and should successfully deputise for Sandra Perkovic who won two years ago with a championship record of 68.58m.
In the same month, Tina &Scaron;utej ended her long wait for a European pole vault medal by winning silver indoors in Torun. Slovenian hopes will also rest on the likes of Luka Janezic (400m), Žan Rudolf (800m) and training partners Klara Lukan and Marusa Mismas-Zrimsek in the 3000m and 5000m respectively.&nbsp;
From a Latvian perspective, Madara Palameika is the only female javelin thrower over 60 metres, while Elvis Misāns and Mareks Ārents stand good chances of repeating their triple jump and pole vault wins from two years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Līga Velvere and Laura Igaune would say the same. The former is marginally behind the 2:01.34 new lifetime best of Hungary&rsquo;s Bianka Bartha-K&eacute;ri this year in the 800m. Iguane&rsquo;s 70.64m season&rsquo;s best hammer throw is 26 centimetres better than the aforementioned Hrasnova.&nbsp;

Lalova-Collio and Demireva to spearhead Bulgaria’s promotion prospects in Stara Zagora

Final entries for the European Athletics Team Championships First, Second and Third Leagues on 19-20 June have been published and are available to view.
The First League takes place in Cluj-Napoca, Romania and features the five relegated teams from the Super League in 2019: Sweden, Finland, Greece, Czech Republic and Switzerland. The final entries for the First League can be found <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/891728ea-f1a2-4e87-9ce5-0e260faefbb7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.&nbsp;
The Swiss team features recently crowned European indoor champions Ajla Del Ponte (100m, 4x100m) and Angelica Moser (pole vault) while the Greek team will be expecting maximum points in the long jump from world leader Miltiadis Tentoglou.
Another reigning European indoor champion in action is Femke Bol who will contest the 400m flat in Cluj-Napoca. Her training partner Lieke Klaver will also be in action in the 200m.
However, Ireland will not be competing in Cluj-Napoca citing ongoing coronavirus restriction. The full statement from Athletics Ireland can be read <a href="https://www.athleticsireland.ie/news/european-team-championships-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
The European Athletics Team Championships Second League takes place in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria and the final entries can be found <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/60fb4df4-26f9-4347-8e72-098f4593e4db" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
One of the highlights will be the men's discus featuring reigning European champion Andrius Gudzius from Lithuania and in-form Slovenian Kristjan Ceh who extended his European U23 record to 69.52m last month.&nbsp;
The Bulgarian team will be anchored once again by Ivet Lalova-Collio who competes in the 200m and 4x100m, and Olympic silver medallist Mirela Demireva in the high jump. Lalova-Collio won a 100/200m double on this track in 2015 which helped Bulgaria gain promotion into the First League.
The European Athletics Team Championships Third League will be held in Limassol, Cyprus and final entries can be found <a href="https://directus.european-athletics.com/assets/32ad20c5-7f47-428b-ba8f-e3c8c8079900" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.&nbsp;
Hosts Cyprus will be one of the favourites for promotion back into the Second League. Their team includes world finalists Milan Trajkovic (110m hurdles) and Apostolos Parellis (discus) along with Eleni Artymata (400m) and twins Olivia Fotopoulou (100m) and Filippa Fotopoulou (long jump).
The men's shot put could be one of the highest quality events of the weekend with the entry-list featuring four throwers with 21 metre-plus lifetime bests: Georgia's Giorgi Mujaridze (21.21m), Mesud Pezer from Bosnia &amp; Herzegovina (21.48m), Serbia's Asmir Kolasinac (21.58m) and Luxembourg's Bob Bertemes (22.22m).
&nbsp;

Final entries published for European Team Championships First, Second and Third Leagues

The Bulgarian city of Stara Zagora will once again stage the European Team Championships Second League, on 19-20 June 2021, just six years after it last staged this competition. 
On that occasion, the host nation gained promotion when they were helped immeasurably by a sprint treble from Ivet Lalova-Collio - one of the most successful performers in European Athletics Team Championships history - and hopes are high that their talismanic 2012 European 100m champion will be able to answer her country’s call once more and again be a major contributor of points.
Lalova-Collio will be 37 by the time the competition takes place but on 2020 times – having run 11.31 in Rieti this summer – she remains the fastest women from the 12 competing nations in Stara Zagora.
The hosts also have strength in the women’s jumps as well not least thanks to high jumper Mirela Demireva, silver medallist at the last two European Athletics Championships and a winner in the 2019 Second League, who will not lack for support as she is a member of the local club Beroe Stara Zagora. 
The 12-team Second League also features Hungary, Lithuania and Slovakia – all of whom were relegated from the First League in 2019 – while Iceland who topped the Third League standings in 2019 could also be vying for their second successive promotion.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet'>
Hosts for the 2021 European Athletics Team Championships: 
Super League - Chorzow 
First League - Cluj-Napoca 
Second League - Stara Zagora 
Third League - Nicosia <a href='https://t.co/Bl55okJf2f'>pic.twitter.com/Bl55okJf2f</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1328657564012326915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>November 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
Hungary were relegated by a margin of just 2.5 points in 2019 and will undoubtably be looking to their throwers to contribute good points in their bid for an immediate return to the First League. They could potentially field 2019 World Athletics Championships hammer bronze medallist Bence Halasz and reigning world indoor shot put champion Anita Marton. 
Lithuania will be counting on 2017 discus world champion Andrius Gudzius to aid their challenge, but he could face Austria’s Lukas Weisshaidinger in what might be one of the stellar events of the weekend.
A target for the pair is Gerd Kanter’s European Team Championships record of 68.76m, from the 2010 First League meeting, which both men have actually bettered during their careers.
Denmark’s double 2019 European U23 champion Anna Emilie Moller could be the star of the distance events but may possibly face Israel’s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter in at least one event, and which the latter may be Europe’s leading marathon runner at the moment she has considerable prowess over shorter distancers on the track.
The 12,000 capacity Beroe Stadium in Stara Zagora has not only hosted the European Team Championships Second League before but also staged the Balkan Championships twice in the last decade, in 2013 and 2018, as well as being the home to the Bulgarian First Division football club PFC Beroe Stara Zagora. 
However, perhaps the track’s most famous athletics claim to fame is Yordanka Donkova’s 100m world record of 12.21 set at the 1988 Bulgarian national championships no one was able to better until 2016.
Conditions in Stara Zagora should be conducive to some outstanding performances, even if athletes don’t reach the height of Donkova’s feat, as daytime temperatures in mid-June often hover around the mid-20s degrees Celsius and rain is very rare at this time of year.

European Athletics Team Championships Second League returns to Bulgaria

Estonia claimed the sole promotion place at the European Athletics Team Championships Second League in the Croatian city of Varazdin tonight, totalling 336.5 points after two days of competition to finish above Slovenia, who reached 321, and Denmark, who finished with 313.
Magnus Kirt, who heads this year’s world list in the men’s javelin, contributed maximum points to the victors with an effort of 81.47m. The Estonians might have only produced three victories across the two days but they were rewarded for their excellent consistency with 19 top three finishes across the 40 events.
As part of this year’s streamlining of League numbers by European Athletics, five teams go down from each, and here the nations heading for League Three were Israel, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Georgia and Malta.
Helped by victories from Lukas Weisshaidinger in the discus (63.99m), Beata Schrott in the 100m hurdles (13.36) and a sprint double from Markus Fuchs, Austria finished two-and-a-half points above the relegation zone on 275. Both they and Israel were disqualified in the final event, the men’s 4x400m which meant the key contest was the preceding women’s 4x400m in which Austria finished sixth, earning seven points, on 3:45.60, and Israel ninth, earning four points, on 3:49.39.
Home discus thrower Sandra Perkovic, the reigning world, European and Olympic champion, was a proud winner, providing the individual highlight of the two days with victory in a championship record and European lead of 68.58m.
 [INSTAGRAM ID='https://www.instagram.com/p/B0_pTWKBQDV/'] 
Slovenia’s Tina Sutej produced one of the most emphatic wins of the weekend in the pole vault, where she cleared a season’s best of 4.70m, with Denmark’s Caroline Holm second on 4.05m.
Holm’s teammate Sara Petersen, the Olympic silver medallist and 2016 European champion, excelled in the women’s 400m hurdles, finishing almost three seconds clear in 55.76 while double European U23 champion Anna Emilie Moller took another double, winning the 1500m in 4:18.59 and the 3000m in 9:12.59.
Bulgaria’s 35-year-old 2012 European champion Ivet Lalova-Collio won the women’s 100m in 11.51 and completed a sprint double on day two with a time of 22.99 in the 200m which takes her tally of victories at the European Cup and European Athletics Team Championships to an incredible 14 since 2004.
A top-class men’s shot put event saw Luxembourg’s Bob Bertemes win with 21.62m, ahead of the 21.03m reached by home thrower Filip Mihaljevic.
Cyprus earned a maximum points bonus from the women’s 400m, where Eleni Artymata won in 51.93.
Bulgaria’s double European silver medallist and Olympic silver medallist Mirela Demireva won a tight women’s high jump on countback after clearing 1.94m along with home athlete Ana Simic.
Ksenia Balta maintained Estonia’s second-day momentum with victory in the women’s long jump, reaching 6.52m to finish 20 centimetres clear of her nearest rival, Nektaria Panagi of Cyprus. Midway through the programme, Kaur Kivistik took their tally to three wins with victory in the 3000m steeplechase in 8:40.78 to win by seven seconds.
Israel’s Kenyan-born Lonah Chemtai Salpeter finished almost 20 seconds clear in the women’s 5000m in 15:44.38.
Croatia’s reigning Olympic javelin champion Sara Kolak also earned top points, delighting the home crowd with an effort of 57.97m.

Estonia's consistency rewarded with promotion into First League

Nine years ago in Marsa, Malta, Ivet Lalova-Collio won the 100m in the Third League of the European Athletics Team Championships – and it has been quite a journey since then. She also ran the third leg of the triumphant 4x100m team and finished second in the 200m as Bulgaria earned promotion into the Second League.
A similar outcome will be the target this weekend as Lalova-Collio, who has entered the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, will endeavour to add to her record of being the most successful athlete in the history of the competition.
And this time their promotion bid will come on the back of relegation in in 2017 as Bulgaria look for an immediate return to the First League. Since her double triumph in 2010, Lalova-Collio has won maximum points on seven other occasions, making her the most successful competitor in European Athletics Team Championships history.
And prior to the formation of the European Athletics Team Championships in 2009, Lalova-Collio amassed a gleaming record at the European Cup - most notably winning a sprint double as a 20-year-old in 2004, blasting to a lifetime best of 10.77 in the 100m.
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet'>
<a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/FactFriday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>#FactFriday</a> Since 2004, Ivet Lalova-Collio has amassed 14 wins for Bulgaria at the European Cup and European Team Championships. 
Lalova-Collio has entered the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the European Team Championships Second League in Varazdin, Croatia. <a href='https://t.co/e45R42sJgI'>pic.twitter.com/e45R42sJgI</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1157300866782773254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
But from Malta to Croatia, Varazdin stages the Second League on 10-11 August in what has the makings of a close two days of action involving some of European Athletics’ leading stars. Along with hosts Croatia and Bulgaria, the Second League is made up of Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, Israel, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta and Slovenia. 
Due to the changes to the format which were approved last November, only the winning nation will gain promotion while the five lowest-ranked teams will be relegated into the Third League.
Along with Bulgaria, the Estonian and Danish teams were also relegated from the First League in 2017 while Luxembourg have moved up into the second tier having won the Third League two years ago ahead of Georgia and Malta.
The Bulgarians will be among the favoured teams in Varazdin having also called on the duties of Olympic silver medallist Mirela Demireva in the high jump, European indoor champion Radoslava Mavrodieva in the shot put while Gabriela Petrova will be attempting to contribute a full complement of points in both the long jump and triple jump.
And while this event is all about the team, there can be no escaping that the 12 nations are represented by some of the best individuals in the sport – and they come no bigger than the superstar of the home team.
Since Sandra Perkovic last took part at the European Team Championships in 2014, she has won four more major gold medals to confirm her position as arguably the greatest female discus thrower of all-time. 
<blockquote class='twitter-tweet'>
Olympic champions Sandra Perkovic and Sara Kolak have been named on Croatia's team for the European Athletics Team Championships Second League in Varazdin. 
Final entries here: <a href='https://t.co/dEp0172sRv'>https://t.co/dEp0172sRv</a> <a href='https://t.co/3KGCfOFsqh'>pic.twitter.com/3KGCfOFsqh</a>
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) <a href='https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics/status/1157326072918265857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw'>August 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
Now it is all about points. Five years ago Perkovic won the discus with 64.05m and finished third in the shot put but this weekend she will be focusing solely on her main event with recently crowned European U23 discus champion Marija Tolj taking part in the shot put.
Perkovic has a season's best of 64.77m from Rabat in mid-June and on that criteria, her nearest challenger will be Estonia's Katlin Tollasson who achieved a personal best of 58.12m in Tallinn, also in June.
The Croatian team will be strong in the throws as Perkovic is joined by Olympic javelin champion Sara Kolak who has returned to action after surgery. Kolak has a season’s best of 64.45m and has surpassed the 60 metre-line in three of her four competitions.
Another European champion in action is Israel's Lonah Chemtai Salpeter who was sensational in winning 10,000m crown in Berlin and she will aim for double maximum points in the 3000m and 5000m.
But the 3000m could be some race as Salpeter meets Denmark’s Anna Emilie Moller who won the 3000m steeplechase and 5000m titles at the European Athletics U23 Championships last month. Moller has entered both the 1500m and 3000m and along with Olympic 400m hurdles silver medallist Sara Slott Petersen, will be key as Denmark push for promotion back into the First League.
Estonia's Magnus Kirt is having a superb summer, with the European javelin bronze medallist leading the 2019 world list with 90.61m from June. He is the only man to break the 90m barrier this year and it would take something spectacular for him not to win at the weekend.
Another star name in action across the weekend is Cyprus’ Milan Trajkovic who won the 60m hurdles title at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow in March. Trajkovic will be seeking maximum points in the 110m hurdles and will also run for Cyprus in the 4x100m relay.
<div> </div>

Lalova-Collio spearheads a strong Bulgarian team in the Second League

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European Athletics Team Championships Second League

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European Athletics Team Championships Second League | News

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SPAR has been the principal sponsor of European Athletics since 1996, becoming synonymous with the sport during this period. Athletics is a sport where personal endeavour is combined with team participation to achieve success, and SPAR identifies with this principle through its national partners by ensuring that consumers enjoy shopping at SPAR. SPAR retailers continue to develop the brand through sponsorship awareness and through the critical link with individual athletes who are also customers of independent retailers. SPAR is proud to be involved with European Athletics, an organisation which strives to bring passion and enthusiasm for their sport to viewers, spectators and participants.

SPAR

Eurohold Bulgaria AD is a leading energy and financial group operating mainly in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (CESEE). It is listed on the Bulgarian and Warsaw Stock Exchange. Eurohold owns Euroins Insurance Group AD (EIG), one of the largest insurance groups in the region. EIG provides a full range of insurance products, serves over 4 million customers in 13 countries and has over 3000 employees.

Eurohold

Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland began its partnership with European Athletics in 2008 as a top-tier sponsor of all Major Events and the European Athletics U23 and U20  Championships. Le Gruyère is a very high quality natural cheese that has been produced for many centuries in an artisanal method without any additives. VIP guests, athletes and fans have the opportunity to taste this magnificent cheese at European Athletics events sponsored by Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland.

Le Gruyère

Toyo Tires is one of the world's largest tire manufacturers. Toyo Tire Corporation was founded in 1945 in Osaka, Japan. In 1975, the manufacturer opened its European headquarters in Germany. The product range includes winter, summer and all-season tyres for motor vehicles as well as van tyres and special off-road products. The philosophy of Toyo Tires is to combine driving pleasure with top performance. This is reflected in each of the products, as well as in its close partnership with European Athletics.

Toyo Tires

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has been the Official Broadcast Partner of European Athletics since 1981. During this 40-year partnership, the outstanding collaboration between both organisations has always been focused on developing European Athletics into a more attractive product for television, spectators and athletes. Through its operational department Eurovision Services, the EBU is continuously working to promote athletics by offering the most comprehensive coverage of European Athletics events all over Europe.

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 110,000 employees and an annual revenue of approximately €12 billion. It is the European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high performance computing, and the group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 73 countries. A pioneer in decarbonisation services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonised digital environment for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), and listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index.

Atos is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic and  Paralympic Games. It is also the Timing-Scoring, Results and Operations provider of European Athletics events since 2017, and European Athletics Official Digital Partner for their new digital platform (web and mobile).


Atos

Conica has been developing and manufacturing innovative seamless flooring solutions for sports, games and leisure for over 40 years and is one of the world's market leaders and innovation drivers in this field.  The user-oriented requirements for technical and sports functional performance as well as usability while guaranteeing the health aspects of the material itself, and for the user, are the focus of Conica's product development.  Conica is part of the Serafin group of companies based in Munich, Germany.

Conica

Polanik is a family company, founded by Wiesław Szczepanik in 1966. It produces athletics equipment having over thousand products in the offer. Polanik fully equips stadiums all over the world and handles the highest-level athletics events. Stars of athletics beat world records using Polanik products. Polanik is held in high regard by many for top quality and advisory services for designers and investors of athletics stadiums.

Polanik

Opened in 1909 and magnificently restored, the Hotel Royal Savoy Lausanne combines Art Nouveau and modernity with genuine panache. Featuring tailor-made service and unbeatable comfort, this legendary venue is located a short walk from the shores of Lac Leman and offers every guest the absolute luxury of feeling truly at home. The Hotel Royal Savoy is proud to be the Preferred Hotel Partner of European Athletics in Lausanne since 2016, offering valuable support and accommodation services to European Athletics business activities throughout the year.

Hotel Royal Savoy Lausanne

Getty Images is the world's leading creator and distributor of visual content – with award winning editorial photographers and videographers covering hundreds of Sports, Entertainment, and News events daily. Digital asset management and distribution services optimize efficiency and content syndication for hundreds of media partners and rights holders.

Getty images

The first companies of Würth MODYF Group were founded in Künzelsau, Germany and Neumarkt, Italy in 1997 as an independent subsidiary of the Würth Group and can thus look back on more than 25 years of experience in the field of workwear and safety footwear.

Würth MODYF Group currently operates companies in seven countries and has more than 400 employees in Germany, France, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. Smaller sales units support Würth MODYF’s customers in Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium. Würth MODYF Group is continuing to expand internationally, opening new branches all over Europe.

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