Moscow shows Europe's strength

A year after an Olympic Games, the peak achieved then is not always transferred to the following summer's IAAF World Championships. But Moscow 2013 blew that theory out of the water after eight days of glorious performances from so many European athletes.

Of the 47 gold medals on offer, Europe won 23 of them. It was the best performance from European nations since Seville in 1999. Arguably, it was the best performance ever at a World Championships by Europe because the 206 countries was a record number.

Russia led the way with a magnificent seven gold medals and 17 in total but it was a Championships that will be remembered from a European perspective as one where so many of the continent's competitors achieved a notable moment in their athletics lives.

And for that, so many others can learn lessons: never give in; always believe that the gold will finally come; set a target and eventually it will be achieved; and do not let time become a rival to regaining your status as the best.

These are some of the highlights...

The Comeback Girl
There was no greater celebrations in the Luhzniki Stadium than on the evening of the women's pole vault final as Yelena Isinbayeva won gold with her brilliant 4.98m. Before Moscow, questions were being asked and doubts were being raised as to whether the greatest woman in the event could regain her place at the top of the podium. She had not been there outdoors since Beijing in 2008, she had not won the world title since Osaka in 2007 but at 31, she delivered in style again. Every Championship normally has a moment that the host country will savour for a long time, and for Russia, this was theirs. But more importantly, it leaves the rest of the world's pole vaulters wondering what to do next. Isinbayeva says she is taking time out to have a child but she will return for the Olympics in Rio. Before Moscow, she might have had different thoughts about her career; after Moscow, she cannot be ruled out of winning gold in 2016.

The Diamond Girls
Throughout this summer's IAAF Diamond League series, Zuzana Hejnova, of the Czech Republic, Abeba Arewagi, of Sweden, Sandra Perkovic, of Croatia, and Christina Obergföll, of Germany, have been outstanding stars. They have dominated their respective events, yet as they showed in Moscow, they kept something back to ensure Championship gold. Hejnova produced arguably the most slick display of her career to win the 400m hurdles, Aregawi was sensational in the manner she shrugged off all challenges in the 1500m, Perkovic ended the discus final in round two with a winning throw of 67.99m that no-one was going to overtake and Obergföll responded to being second in round one in the javelin by throwing 69.05m in the next and gold was settled.