ITALY
Daniele Meucci will look to win his fourth medal at next week's European Athletics Championships - in his third different event.
The brilliant distance-runner will be among the favourites for the first European half marathon on 10 July, the final day in Amsterdam.
He is part of an Italian squad of 75 after winning the marathon two years ago in Zurich, a triumph coming on the back of his silver in Helsinki 2012 and bronze in Barcelona 2010 - both in the 10,000m.
An athlete of immense versatility, he is also a bronze medallist from the 2012 SPAR European Cross Country Championships and the Italian’s half marathon teams look strong. Meucci is joined by Ruggero Pertile, who was seventh in the marathon in Zurich, Xavier Chevrier, Daniele D’Onofrio and Stefano La Rosa.
Anna Incerti was the European marathon champion in Barcelona while Valeria Straneo won marathon silver in Zurich and along with Catherine Bertone, Rosaria Console and Laila Soufyane, their women will surely be in the half marathon shake-up.
There are 40 men and 35 women in the squad and it includes one of the great showman of track and field - high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi.
An athlete who competes sporting with half a beard might be easily spotted and loved by the crowds but he delivers too. He won the world indoor title in March and is now Europe's No.1 outdoors this year with 2.36m in Rieti at last weekend’s national championships.
European indoor silver medallist Alessia Trost is a big hope, too, a year on from retaining her high jump title at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Tallinn.
Libania Grenot will look to become the first woman for 30 years to successfully defend the European 400m crown that she won in Zurich in 51.50 and her teammate Matteo Galvan will be chasing a podium spot too. He is the new national record-holder at the men’s event after running 45.12 in Rieti.
#atletica 75 azzurri per @ItaliaTeam_it agli @Euro_Champs #Amsterdam2016, ecco i nomi: https://t.co/uYpZI1smH8 pic.twitter.com/bATlWIQHNP
— Atletica Italiana (@atleticaitalia) June 27, 2016
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FRANCE
Christophe Lemaitre will once again have three opportunities in Amsterdam to stretch away as the leading male medallist in the history of the European Athletic Championships.
The Frenchman has been selected for the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay in a squad of 72.
Lemaitre moved to the top of the all-time men's list for the championships with eight medals by winning three in these same events in Zurich two years ago. The 2010 and 2012 100m champion finished second both at that distance and the 200m and won relay bronze.
In the 100m he will face the scintillating speed of his teammate Jimmy Vicaut, who leads the world lists this summer with 9.86.
Pole vault superstar Renaud Lavillenie is one of four French athletes looking to successfully defend their title.
He will be chasing his fourth successive outdoor European gold and if he succeeds, he will match his European record indoors where he has won four times between 2009-2015.
He triumphed in Zurich with 5.90m and last weekend at the national championships he went over at 5.95m. Suddenly it is looking more ominous for the rest.
Yoann Kowal is back to defend his 3000m steeplechase title and triple jumper Benjamin Compaore will also be looking to make it two in a row.
They are among the 38 men on the team and from the 34 women, heptathlete Antoinette Nana Djimou will be eyeing the top of the podium once more having won in Zurich with 6551 points.
One of the best performances from the last championships was Christelle Daunay’s marathon triumph and this time she reverts to the track for the 10,000m where she is joined by Clémence Calvin, the Zurich silver medallist.
La sélection française pour les @Euro_Champs, du 6 au 10 juillet à @Amsterdam2016. https://t.co/hZV6MsmGEq #ECH2016 pic.twitter.com/zGgxqAX7Fc
— FFA (@FFAthletisme) June 27, 2016