Europe’s field eventers led the way on the opening night of the IAAF Continental Cup in Marrakech to give the team an impressive advantage in their bid to win the trophy.
With 222.5 points, Europe are in front from the Americas with 191, Africa with 164 and Asia-Pacific with 137.5.
Europe won six individual events - one on the track, with James Dasaolu taking the 100m, and five in the field: Krisztian Pars in the hammer, David Storl in the shot put, Bogdan Bondarenko in the high jump, Ignisious Gaisah in the long jump and Barbora Spotakova in the javelin.
Along with these victories, Europe also had a some fine podium finishes in this competition where points are awarded, eight to one, in descending order with each continent entering two athletes in each event.
It was another memorable night for Dasaolu, who at one time this summer looked like he may not even make the Great Britain team for the European Athletics Championships in Zurich when he was hit by injury.
Not only did he book his place, he then went on to win the gold medal, and now on Saturday evening he banked the maximum eight points for Europe with a narrow victory in 10.03 from Mike Rodgers, of the USA, in 10.04, and Qatar’s Femi Ogunode in third, also in 10.04.
Gaisah was a late replacement in the team for Britain's Greg Rutherford - and it can never be easy stepping into the spikes of the Olympic, Commonwealth and European champion.
But the Dutch athlete has had a fine season and after finishing second in the Diamond Race, he is the Continental Cup champion after a winning effort of 8.11m in the second round, the only man to pass eight metres at the Le Grand Stade.
Ukraine’s Bondarenko led a European one-two in the high jump as 2.37m was enough for success ahead of Russian Ivan Ukhov and Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim.
Bondarenko had lost to Barshim at the final Diamond League meeting in Brussels, and with it the Diamond Race, but the European champion took this win after clearing his first effort at 2.37m.
He attempted to break the European record but missed out at 2.43m with Olympic champion Ukhov taking second on countback from Barshim with both athletes on 2.34m.
Spotakova’s summer has been full of glory in what has been an outstanding comeback year since she became a mother.
Fresh from winning the European title and Diamond Race, the Czech Republic javelin thrower was trailing in Morocco to Sunette Viljoen after two rounds, but eventually took control in the next round as she achieved the winning throw of 65.52m.
The men’s hammer opened the competition and round two saw Europe seal the points as Hungarian Pars once more demonstrated his authority at the event as he won with 78.99m.
Pars, who successfully defended his title at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich, led from his first throw of 78.96m but might have had a tense moment in the last round as Egypt’s Mostafa Elgamel launched an effort that landed at 78.89m for second place with Poland’s Pawel Fajdek securing more points for Europe with 78.05m for third.
David Storl’s superb run of success now has the Continental Cup to go alongside his two world and European crowns.
Storl reached 21.19m and then confirmed victory with 21.55m in the last round as Jamaican O’Dayne Richards took second with 21.10m and American Joe Kovacs was third with 20.87m.
Hussein is flying again
Among Europe’s series of second and thirds, it was another superb evening for the man who brought the biggest noise to the Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich, 400m hurdler Kariem Hussein.
The Swiss star, who won gold at the European Athletics Championships, produced a personal best of 48.47 for second behind South African Cornel Fredericks who won in 48.34 with Puerto Rico’s Javier Culson third in 48.88.
In the women’s 3000m, Sweden’s European 5000m champion Meraf Bahta ran 8:58.48 to finish just behind Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba who won in 8:57.53.
Represented by Briton, also gold medallists from Zurich, Europe’s women took second in the 4x100m relay as Asha Philip, Ashleigh Nelson, Anyika Onuora and Desiree Henry ran a personal best of 42.98 as the Americas won in 42.44.
The men’s quartet of Britons James Ellington, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Richard Kilty and France’s Christophe Lemaitre were also second in 38.62 with the Americas taking that event, too, in 37.97.
Dafne Schippers, of the Netherlands, the European 100m and 200m champion, ran 11.26 in the shorter sprint as Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown won in 11.08.