Switzerland and Poland earned instant promotion back to the Super League of the European Cup Combined Events in Inowroclaw over the weekend.
As the Polish city staged the First and Second Leagues, the host nation achieved their aim as Switzerland won this First League match with 39,694 points and Poland were second with 39,229.
The champions saw their women produce superb displays to finish second, third and fourth respectively in the heptathlon as they triumphed overall.
Poland had individual success to celebrate of their own as Karolina Tyminska, who was 11th in Zurich last summer, justified her favourite’s tag in the heptathlon by winning with 6174 points from Linda Zublin (6047), Valerie Reggel (5894) and Michelle Zeltner (5782).
Martin Roe, of Norway, had two days to remember, too, as he achieved a personal best of 7875 to win the decathlon from Spain’s Pau Tonnesen (7841) and Poland’s Pawel Wiesiolek (7767).
The consistency of the Swiss men contributed to their team glory as Jonas Fringeli was fifth (7528), Flavien Antille was eighth (7242) and Christian Loosli was 11th (7201).
Tyminska always in control
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In the heptathlon, Zublin led from the start as she was quickest in the opening event, the 100m hurdles, in 13.65 before Poland’s Agnieszka Borowska won the high jump with 1.84m.
Tyminska took the shot put with 13.75m before Romanian Anamaria Ionita was the fastest in the first day’s final event, the 200m, in 24.10.Overnight, Tyminska led with 3696 points from teammate Izabela Mikolajczyk (3588) and Zublin did the same as on Saturday by winning Sunday’s opener, the long jump, with 6.33m and then took the javelin with 48.12m.
But Tyminska made the 800m count as she won the title by being the quickest in 2:11.44 with Zublin running 2:18.38.
The first day of the decathlon brought winners in the 100m in Italy’s Vincenzo Vigliotti in 10.81, in the long jump with Spain's Vicente Guardiola with a personal best of 7.45m, the shot put with Norway's Lars Vikan-Rise with 15.83m, Tonnesen in the high jump with 2.07m and then Roe, who had been consistent throughout, was fastest in the 400m in 49.00.
He led overnight with 4182 from Wiesiolek with 4031 and it was the Pole who started the second day well with the top time in the 110m hurdles of 14.49.
But Vikan-Rise was having quite a time as he won his second event by taking the discus with 45.15m and then it was the turn of Tonnesen to triumph in the pole vault as he was the only man over five metres, winning the event with 5.20m.
It was proving a great field event series for Vikan-Rise who won the javelin with 61.09m and then won his fourth discipline with victory in the finale, the 1500m, as he banked maximum points with the fastest time of 4:33.87.
He was fourth overall with 7742 as Roe’s consistency gave him the title, with, on this second day, him finishing second in the discus with 44.24m, third in the javelin with 58.10 and third in the 1500m in 4:35.13.
FIRST LEAGUE – FINAL STANDINGS
1. Switzerland – 39,694 (p)
2. Poland – 39,229 (p)
3. Spain – 39,069
4. Italy – 37,053
5. Sweden – 36,710
6. Romania – 33,775
National record for Ikauniece-Admidia in the Second League
Finland won the Second League with 36,948 points, and joining them in promotion to next year's First League was Portugal with 36,311. Latvia with 36,296 and Greece 35,547 completed the team standings as these four teams took part in the event.
Individually, a series of other nations competed in the decathlon and heptathlon but it was a weekend to remember for Latvia’s Laura Ikauniece-Admidia who broke her national record as she won the heptathlon with 6470 and had the best score in the heptathlon from all leagues this weekend. Greece’s Sofia Ifantidou took second place with 5945 and Lecabela Quaresma, of Portugal, was third with a personal best of 5792.
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Ikauniece-Admidia, the 2012 European silver medallist, was always going to be the leading athlete and she broke personal bests in the 200m in 23.95 which she won and shot put, where she was fourth, with 13.22m.
She also had the best time in the 100m hurdles of 13.51, was first in the high jump with 1.81m on the opening day and then on Sunday, won the long jump with 6.27m.
It was Finland’s weekend in the men’s event as Joli Koivu produced a personal best performance to win with 7462 points from teammate Tero Ojala (7726) and Portugal’s Samuel Remedios (7184).
Koivu was second overall in the 110m hurdles in 14.76, discus with 41.15m and pole vault with a personal best of 4.80m, before throwing his best ever javelin to win the event with 64.35m and then was 10th in the 1500m in 5:02.09.