15th June 2013 08:59
In a week's time, four venues will bring out the best spirit among track and field athletes when the 4th European Athletics Team Championships take place in Gateshead, Dublin, Kaunas and Banská Bystrica.
It is the essence of working for each other, knowing the mere one point from finishing down the field could ultimately prove as vital as the maximum points for winning an event.
And as the European nations congregate at these four different venues, it is the continent's command of the IAAF Diamond League, which is a proof of the high level of competition that can be expected next Saturday and Sunday.
As teams will be finalised in the next few days, the top three leagues could be treated to four women who have stamped their authority on the world scene in the opening weeks of the summer.
On Thursday night in Oslo, the sixth IAAF Diamond League meeting of the summer took place. At the end, seven athletes were leading the series in their individual events. Of those seven, four are from Europe.
Sweden's Abebe Aregawi has been the dominated force of the 1500m, Zuzana Hejnova, of the Czech Republic, has been outstanding in the 400m hurdles, Croatia's Sandra Perkovic has controlled the discus and Christine Obergfoll, of Germany, has been superb in the javelin.
Next stop the European Athletics Team Championship and Aregawi, Hejnova, Perkovic and Obergfoll are just the type of athletes any team manager would want – banker favourites even before the event has began.
Even though Sweden were the hosts of the top division two years ago, when the European Athletics Team Championships was last staged, they suffered the disappointment of being relegated in Stockholm.
They will look to bounce back in Dublin next weekend and, if selected, Aregawi is unlikely to lose. It is exactly the same scenario for the Czech Republic who are in Ireland for the 1st League match after dropping down last time having finished third from bottom in the table.
Hujnova will give them the same authority as Aregawi can provide for Sweden in their pursuit of immediate promotion.
Croatia are in the 2nd League in Kaunas, having finished bottom of the 1st League table in 2011 in Izmir, but Perkovic's presence alone should give them reams of confidence.
The Olympic and European champion leads the European Athletics rankings with 68.48m and when she won in Rome last week, she did so by almost four metres.
Obergfoll's last Diamond League triumph was also in Rome – events alternate between the meetings – and it was there that she won with 66.45m, beating Russia's world champion Mariya Abakumova with 64.03m.
The pair are set to reunite in Gateshead and it could be a fabulous head-to-head.
And now Germany have added another Diamond League winner to the team for Gateshead as they bid to beat Russia, the defending champions.
Pole vaulter Martina Strutz was originally selected but because of studies, she needs to be back on Monday.
Instead of risking problems with travel connections, she has opted out and her place has been taken by Silke Spiegelburg, whose season's best of 4.65m gave her victory on Thursday in Oslo.
Another woman flying high in the final countdown.