22nd June 2013 06:58
The Swedish city of Stockholm was home to the top league in the 3rd European Athletics Team Championships in 2011 but the outcome was a repeat of 12 months earlier in Bergen.
Russia triumphed again by 53.5 points from Germany - they had finished first last year by 62.5 points from Great Britain - and they did so with five victories on the Saturday and four on the Sunday.
Germany, the first winners of the European Athletics Team Championships in 2009, moved up from third place from the previous year and Ukraine had their best result at the event with their first podium place, finishing third with 304 points.
Russia's head coach Valentin Maslakov praised the team spirit of the champions in the final Championships before the competition took a year's break because of the European Athletics Championships and Olympic Games the following summer.
Maslakov said: 'We had no apparent failures and we scored more points than last year (385 now, 379.5 then).
'The team rallied around each other, and worked well with the officials on the team. Everybody felt for each other and everybody supported each other.
'When Darya Pishchalnikova finished her last attempt [after the women's discus, when Russia took an unassailable lead four events before the end], we all just stood up and roared. The guys who did not do as well as we had hoped, came and apologised after their events. This had never happened before.'
But the Russian celebration was contrasted to disappointment for the Czech Republic, Portugal and hosts Sweden who once more were all relegated having just been promoted.
Russia had led overnight with 213 points from Germany with 183.5 and Britain with 166.
Russia had first day victories in the 400m with Maksim Dyldin, long jumper Aleksandr Menkov, 800m and 3000m runners Mariya Savinova and Olesya Syreva as well as 3000m steeplechase world record-holder Gulnara Galkina.
And to show the spirit of the team, there was a great run by Valentin Smirnov in the 1500m when he produced a personal best performance of 3:38.86 behind Spain's Manuel Olmedo who won in 3:38.63.
France's Christophe Lemaitre, the European 100m champion, was simply electric as he stormed down the home straight for a national record of 9.95 with the fastest time by a European for seven years and the best individual performance of the weekend.
He said: 'Everything was very good. I had a good start and accelerated for 50-60 metres before I got to my top speed. I didn't think I was going to get a record here, but obviously I'm glad I did.'
He then went on to win the 200m 24 hours later in a brilliant 20.28.
Ukrainian high jumper Dymtro Demyanyuk put behind him years of frustration to have the best competition of his life when he cleared a personal best with 2.35m.
His teammate, the 2010 European Athletics Championships triple gold medallist Olha Saladuha, also impressed as she won with 14.85m.
Russia added another four wins on the second day thanks to Tatyana Dektyareva in the 100m hurdles, long jumper Darya Klishina and the two 4x400m relay teams.
Germany's 2009 World Championships discus gold medallist Robert Harting won with 65.63m while the day before teammate Christina Obergfoll took the javelin with 66.22m to maintain her unbeaten run at these Championships, just as Britain's Dai Greene did as he triumphed in the 400m hurdles in a championship record of 49.21.
But it was Russia's weekend - again.
Türkiye topped the table at the First League in Izmir and joining them in promotion were Greece and Norway with Slovenia and Croatia relegated.
Estonia made an instant return to the 1st League after relegation when they won the 2d League in Novi Sad, just ahead of Bulgaria with Latvia and Slovakia going down.
The 3rd League in Reykjavik was won by Israel with Cyprus in second.
3rd European Athletics Team Championships (weekend of June 18-19, 2011)
RESULTS
Super League (bottom three relegated), Stockholm
1. Russia 385; 2. Germany 331.5; 3. Ukraine 304; 4. Great Britain and N.I. 289; 5. France 284; 6. Poland 264; 7. Spain 246; 8. Italy 237; 9. Belarus 220; 10. Czech Republic 211; 11. Portugal 177.5; 12. Sweden 159.
1st League (top three promoted, bottom two relegated), Izmir
1. Türkiye 329; 2. Greece 307.5; 3. Norway 290; 4. Romania 282.5; 5. Netherlands 278; 6. Hungary 265; 7. Switzerland 251.5; 8. Finland 248; 9. Belgium 245.5; 10. Ireland 224.5; 11. Slovenia 200.5; 12. Croatia 178.
2nd League (top two promoted, bottom two relegated), Novi Sad
1. Estonia 218; 2. Bulgaria 215.5; 3. Serbia 188.5; 4. Lithuania 185; 5. Denmark 175; 6. Austria 172; 7. Latvia 147; 8. Slovakia 134.5.
3rd League (top two promoted), Reykjavik
1. Israel 490; 2. Cyprus 469; 3. Republic of Moldova 440; 4. Iceland 411; 5. Bosnia and Herzegovina 390; 6. Azerbaijan 377; 7. Armenia 341; 8. Luxembourg 335; 9. Malta 270; 10. Montenegro 266; 11. FYR Macedonia 233; 12. Association of Small States of Europe 178; 13. Andorra 174; 14. Georgia 144; 15. Albania 93.