19th August 2013 10:40
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 and as our chart below shows, 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 Championship 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.
Read more...
THE WEEK JUST GONE
A spectacular one with Moscow bringing so many memorable times for European athletes at the 14th IAAF World Championships where the evening total crowds were 396,548 - up from 261,792 in Daegu in 2011.
THE WEEK AHEAD
A quick few days to draw breath and then the drama starts all over again with the DN Galan Diamond League meeting in Stockholm on Thursday night where Sweden's newly-crowned 1500m world champion Abeba Aregawi will be the star of the show in a race where she is set to face Eunice Jepkoech Sum, the Kenyan who won 800m gold in Moscow.
EUROPEAN LEADERS -from the World Championships
Men -
200m -Adam Gemeli (GBR), 19.98
400m -Jonathan Borlee (BEL), 44.54
10,000m - Mo Farah (GBR), 27:21.71
400m hurdles - Emir Kekric (SRB), 48.05
Long Jump - Aleksandr Menkov (RUS), 8.56m
Triple Jump - Teddy Tamgho (FRA), 18.04m
Shot - David Storl (GER), 21.73m
Hammer - Pawel Fajdek (POL), 81.97m
Decathlon - Michael Schrader (GER), 8670
50km walk - Robert Heffernan (IRL), 3:37:56
4 x 100m - Germany, 38.04
4 x 400m - Russia, 2:59.90
Women
400m - Christine Ohuruogu (GBR), 49.41
800m - Mariya Savinova (RUS), 1:57.80
100m hurdles - Tiffany Porter (GBR), 12.55
400m hurdles - Zuzana Hejnova (CZE), 52.83
High Jump - Svetlana Shkolina (RUS), 2.03m
Pole Vault - Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS), 4.89m
Shot - Christina Schwanitz (GER), 20.41m
Hammer - Tatyana Lysenko (RUS), 78.80m
4 x 100m - France, 42.25
4 x 400m - Russia, 3:20.19
BIRTHDAYS
19.08.2013 - Nafissatou Thiam (BEL) - European junior heptathlon champion turns 19.
21.08.2013 Jesús Espaí±a (ESP) - Former European 5000m champion turns 35.
TOP TWEETS:
@Mo_Farah: Thanks everyone for your support...!!! It means a lot..!!! http://t.co/xJt3EaWZDF
@chrissyohuruogu: I wish I could reply you all personally for the tweets that are still pouring in. Truly grateful and happy to finally have an NR.
@RM_Heffernan: I can't get through my messages quick enough. Thank you so much for your support. I'm a Very proud IRISHMAN right now. #worldchampion
@airlav