16th May 2012 01:06
Every major championship needs a few home town heroes and the 2012 European Athletics Championships in Helsinki this summer is no exception.
There will be established Finnish stars on display, such as throwers Tero Pitkamaki and Ola-Pekka Karjalainen, who have been on the podium of recent European Athletics Championships.
However, it is also a chance for the host country's up-and-coming athletes to rise to the occasion and make a name for themselves in front of a home audience, that will doubtless include their family and friends.
The Local Organising Committee have provided a profile of one of Finland's emerging talents, 400m hurdler Oskari Mörö, which can be read here.
He talks about his preparations for the summer ahead and the inspiration of having the European Athletics Championships in his home country, as well as coming face-to-face with Great Britain's reigning European 400m hurdles champion David Greene.
Mörö made the final of his event at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games and again at last summer's European Athletics Junior Championships.
However, he has only just turned 19 and is eligible to compete at next summer's European Athletics Junior Championships in the Italian town of Rieti. Mörö's trajectory suggests that he could be one of the favourites for a gold medal and no doubt his experience in Helsinki will help propel him towards that goal.
The 2012 European Athletics Championships will be held in the Finnish capital between 27 June – 1 July.