The Spanish athletics federation has announced that the 2012 European Athletics Championships in Helsinki, which will be staged between 27 June and 1 July, will be a key point in next year's calendar for its athletes.
It recently announced that any Spanish athlete who makes the podium in the Finnish capital, up to a maximum of two per event and assuming that he or she has the Olympic qualifying standard, will be automatically selected for the Olympic Games in London a few weeks later.
Spain is likely to be one of the largest European teams in both Helsinki and London.
Currently, there are 62 Spanish athletes with an Olympic qualifying standard.
However, because some events have more than three athletes qualified - there are no less than seven Spaniards with Olympic qualification times in the men's 3000m steeplechase, the men's 50km walk and women's 20km walk - it is envisaged that a team of around 55 athletes will eventually be on the plane to London next July.