At the European Athletics Championships for the national teams, the team’s interests come first

Athletes from the sixteen best European countries, including the Netherlands, participate in no fewer than 37 disciplines. The person who scores the best results in all areas can claim the title of European Champion.

How does registration work?

Scoring is simple. If Vimky Ball wins the 400m race to which she made the trip, she gets 16 points, the second number gets 15 and so on. Statisticians attribute the greatest chance of victory to Italy, ahead of France and Germany. Numbers 14, 15 and 16 are relegated to the second degree. Head coach Vincent Kortebeek finds it difficult to estimate how high the Dutch national team will end up, but believes it can finish in the first half.

Team interests come first

Held every two years for decades, this event is very different from other tournaments because it puts the interest of the team first. Aside from relay races, the European Championships usually revolve around an athlete’s individual performance. Of course everyone hopes they can score at their higher level, but that also counts how far you can run, throw or jump better than your opponent. Every extra point counts, and every athlete feels the importance of the team, because their countrymen cheer for you more than usual. The ranking is updated after each segment so it stays exciting for three days. A false start, failure to finish, or three invalid attempts can be fatal, as they are worth 0 points. Fortunately, this applies to all participating countries, so in every country someone may sometimes make a mistake.

Who does what?

In principle, the 37 best athletes or relay teams from each country will start, say the Dutch champions. This also makes the formula more interesting. A few exceptions are Vimke Pole, whose 400m hurdles specializes in her more stellar performance than Kathlijn Peters. 400m giant Lake Claver has taken Paul’s place and runs the 200m race as the fastest in the Netherlands.

Not all present

As with any other nation, not every athlete has an orange. Jorinde van Klinken, who recently won the fantastic Diamond League in Oslo, has returned to America for her graduation. Superstar Sivan Hassan prepares at altitude for the IAAF World Championships in August and the Chicago Marathon in October. For Norway, world record holder Carsten Warholm (400mh) and long-distance stopper Jakub Ingebrigtsen are missing, and Swedish traveler Mondo Duplantis is also absent. Each disadvantage has its advantage, because of course it immediately increases the chances of winning for Nick Smidt and young sensation Nils Larousse and Mino Flon, respectively. Several Orange Points are awarded to medalists at international championships Nadine Visser (100m hurdles), Jessica Schilder (shot put), William Marvin Bonifacia (400m) and Doe Amels (high jump). But always again, today’s form will give the resolution 37 times, and high effort is guaranteed for three days.

This year, the European Championships for national teams is the athletics component of the European Games, which will be held in Poland from June 21 to July 2. The Polish city of Krakow and the surrounding area are the scene of a total of 26 sports.

Do you want to watch? Watch the live broadcast here Or watch via the NOS app.