Emelia Gorecka, of Great Britain, and Yemaneberhan Crippa, of Italy, showed on Saturday why they are among the finest young distance runners in the world.
Gorecka, the multi-medallist in the junior category at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships, produced a stunning performance to win the senior race at the Great Edinburgh XCountry.
And her triumph came just an hour or so after Crippa, who won the junior title at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Samokov last month, was first again with another brilliant run.
Making that step up to the next age level can always be tricky as Gorecka, 20, found in Samokov when she was 12th in the under-23 race.
But on Saturday she defied those odds in the toughest of senior company as she won the women’s 6km event in style by beating two European champions in the process - British teammate Gemma Steel and Ireland’s Fionnuala Britton who was competing for Team Europe.
In freezing conditions, with snow drifting across the Holyrood Park course during the last of the three laps, Gorecka broke away in brilliant fashion to win in 21:26 from Britton in 21:33 with Steel back in 11th in 22:25.
Watch the last few kilometres of the women's senior race below:
[VIDEO src='1274865' align='right']
Only last month Steel won the senior European title in Samokov. But now, just a few weeks later, Gorecka’s career has reached a new stage with a run full of control, power, speed and an ability to fend off the challenge of such high-class rivals.
With mud across her face, and snow landing on her cheeks and her hair as she spoke, Gorecka said: 'I am overwhelmed, it feels amazing. There were so many fantastic girls out there today and I fought with all my heart.'
Gorecka, twice a junior individual winner and four times a team gold medallist at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships, is also the reigning European Athletics junior 3000m champion, another indication of her outstanding ability.
The race was the finale to a superb afternoon of action in Scotland in this annual international match between Britain, the USA and Team Europe.
Europe finished second overall with 189 points behind the USA with 121 with Britain third with 223.
Steel had performed so well to take gold in Samokov but on Saturday it was Irish star Britton, the double European champion and Team Europe’s captain, who made the early running.
By the time of the bell, as Steel was drifting down the field, Gorecka led by just inches from Britton and Spain’s Trihas Gebre, a recent winner in San Sebastian.
But then Gorecka made her move for victory with half a lap left and she could not be stopped, with Britton unable to narrow the gap as Gebre finished third in 21:50.
Crippa, 18, won over 6km in Samokov in 20:07 and his face told the whole story on Saturday as he crossed the line with a beaming smile as he triumphed in 19:57 at the same distance, finishing ahead of Americans Creak Geberkidane, second in 20:07, and Olin Hacker, third in 20:08.
It was another superb victory in a career where he could now make an impression at the European Athletics Junior Championships in Eskilstuna in July.
In the women’s junior 4km race on Saturday, Denmark’s Anna-Emilie Moller was the leading athlete from Team Europe in third in 15:02 behind American duo Makena Morley, first in 14:40, and Anna Rohrer, second in 14:47.
And Italy’s Stefano La Rosa was the first Team Europe finisher in the senior men's race as he crossed the line in eighth in 25:39 as American team captain Chris Derrick defended his title by winning in 25:31 from teammate Jacob Riley in 25:33.