In the aftermath of Germany winning the Super League of the European Athletics Team Championships for a second time in Braunschweig on Sunday, their manager Idriss Gonschinska praised the way team captain Robert Harting provided the motivation but said: 'I don't want to single out any one individual performance.'
He was quite right.
Here in the Eintracht-Stadion, Germany combined brilliantly as a team to regain the trophy they won on the first occasion this Championship was staged back in Leiria in Portugal in 2009.
They did so by not giving in when the chips were down on a second day of incredible drama even by the high standards where this competition can play tricks with the emotions.
One moment you are in front, the next you are second, the next you are leading again.
That was the story of this second day until the last event - which in the end for Germany became a 4x400m men's race of celebration as they were winners whatever happened.
They had led Russia by three points overnight, 195-192, but the fact they took the title by 11.5 shows the strength of their squad which won 10 out of the 40 events, seven of those victories coming on Sunday to ensure their glory.
It was a day of great athletics with Russia, who had won the championship on the last three occasions, beating Germany by just seven points in Gateshead last year, making the best possible start in one of the races of the weekend - the men's 110m hurdles as Sergey Shubenkov ran superbly.
France's Pascal Martinot-Lagarde was beaten out of his blocks by both Shubenkov and Great Britain's William Sharman.
In a close finish, Shubenkov won in 13.20, a Championship record, from Sharman in 13.21 and Martinot-Lagarde third in 13.35.
With Germany's Matthias Buhler in fourth in 13.67, the 12 points put Russia back on top.
But it was not long until the Germans were back leading, 216 to 215, after the end of the men's javelin which had brought early delight for the home crowd with a superb show from Andreas Hofmann.
With his opening throw, the German just launched the spear like never before and it landed at 86.13m, a personal best and performance that was not going to be matched.
It was the third best throw by a European this year and though Russian Dmitriy Tarabin had thrown 83.40m, the day belonged to Hofmann who said: 'I cannot believe it, I did 86m in the first attempt.'
The day was getting better for Germany as shot putter Christina Schwanitz won with 19.43m to beat Russia's Irina Tarasova with 18.36m.
The hosts were now leading the competition with 228 from Russia with 226.
France earned their first win of the second day with Cindy Billaud storming to victory in the 100m hurdles in a Championship record of 12.66 as she beat Germany's Nadine Hildebrand, who was second with a personal best of 12.80, and Russian Yuliya Kondakova, third with 12.86.
The previous record time had been set in Bergen in 2010 when Russia's Tatyana Dektyareva won in 12.68.
Germany were still in front and then they had another moment to savour on the track, 24 hours after Arne Gabius had won a sensational 5000m.
This time the hero was Timo Benitz who battled his way to an 800m victory he will never forget as he beat Poland's double European indoor champion Adam Kszczot.
Benitz came through to win in a personal best of 1:46.24, just ahead of Kszczot in 1:46.36, with Italy's Giordano Benedetti third in 1:46.45 and Pierre-Ambroise Bosse, of France, fourth in 1:46.46.
He said: 'On the home straight I saw Kszczot and Bosse in front of me and I thought 'Today is the day you can beat them'.”
Now Germany had a commanding lead - 251 to 239 - because Russia scored just one point from the 800m as Stepan Poistogov was back in 10th in 1:49.08.
Türkiye were propping up the table with Sweden, 10th, on 135, and the Netherlands, 11th on 133.5, also facing the prospect of relegation.
Sweden collected a valuable 12 points by winning the women's 1500m with World champion Abeba Aregawi in 4:14.20, with Russia's Anna Shchangina second in 4:15.04 and Germany's Elina Sujew down in 11th in 4:20.27.
Now Germany's lead was back to just three, 253 to 250, with 13 more events to go.
HOW THE DRAMA GREW - AND IT WAS NOT EVEN HALFWAY ON DAY TWO
The high jump ended with another victory for Russia as Mariya Kuchina won with 1.95m on countback from Ukraine's Oksana Okuneva with Spain's Ruth Beitia sharing third on 1.90m with Poland's Kamila Licwinko.
But the 12 points for Russia came as Germany scored eight with Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch in fifth with 1.87m.
The defending champions were back in front again by a point with 262.
By the end of the men's 3000m steeplechase, both of the leaders had 272 points as France's Yoann Kowal broke the Championship record of 8:28.09 with victory in 8:25.50.
Germany's Martin Grau was second in 8:29.16 from Russian Nikolay Chavkin in 8:30.16, earning one more point, 11 to 10, in the battle for the title.
At last some relief for the Netherlands at the bottom as Dafne Schippers won the 200m in 22.74 to bank 12 points.
Germany's Rebekka Haase had won the first heat in 23.64 but it was only the sixth best time, yet quicker than Russia's Yelizaveta Savlinis, who WAS last in the second race in 23.86.
Germany were now in front with 279 from Russia with 278. But Aleksey Fyodorov won the triple jump for Russia with 16.95m with Germany's Andreas Pohle back in 10th with 15.81m.
So, nine more points for Russia than Germany giving them a 290-282 lead.
At a time when points are needed, it is not bad to have a world record-holder to call on and that is what Germany did in the women's hammer as Betty Heidler won with 74.63m with Russian Anna Bulgakova third with 71.83m.
Eight events were left and Russia were leading by just six with 300.
Poland's Karol Zalewski won the second heat of the 200m in 20.56, the fastest overall time, in an event where Germany, with Julian Reus fifth in 20.81 in this race, were fifth overall, and Russia's Aleksandr Khyutte back in eighth overall after finishing third in the opening race in 21.39.
Russia were in front with 305 to 302 with Poland third with 246 while second-from-bottom Netherlands suffered the blow of no points after Churandy Martina was disqualified.
The women's 5000m gave Sweden a key 12 points as Meraf Bahta won in 15:36.36. Russia finished ahead of Germany, with Alla Kulyatina sixth in 15:42.80, and Germany's Sabrina Mockenhaupt in 10th in 15:58.47.
Russia must have sensed a fourth successive crown at this stage as they led with 312 from Germany with 305 but the next race, the 3000m, saw Germany’s Richard Ringer win in 7:50.99, smashing the championship record of 8:00.45 that Türkiye's Mert Girmalegese had held since 2009.
Russian Yegor Nikolayev was 11th in 8:07.36 and now Germany were leading the Championship again, by three with 317.
Five events were left and could Germany hang on?
The men's pole vault went to form as France's world Indoor record-holder Renaud Lavillenie won with 5.62m on countback over Russia's Aleksandr Gripich and Jan Kudlicka, of the Czech Republic, on 5.62m with Germany fourth with Tobias Scherbarth with 5.52m.
Like Heidler in the women's hammer, in one of the final events Germany could call on an Olympic discus champion in Harting and he stepped up to the plate to take 12 points at just the right time with 67.42m from the second round with Russia's Viktor Butenko third with 62.81m.
Now Germany were in charge again at the top with 338 from Russia with 334.5 with just the women's long jump and the two 4x400m relays to come.
In the women's relay, there was victory for Ukraine in 3:27.66 from their stronger heat as they beat Germany in 3:28.34 and France in 3:28.35.
Russia were back in sixth in the heat in 3:30.36, and seventh overall, and the title was now heading towards Germany.
They led with 349 from Russia with 340.5.
And then Malaika Mihambo's 6.90m brought glory in the long jump to seal the title as Russian Olga Kucherenko was sixth with 6.31m.
The host nation were the champions before the men's 4x400m which Russia won in 3:02.68 from France in 3:03.05 and Germany in 3:03.18, but the outcome had been sealed with the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Türkiye all relegated.