The decision will be made following presentations by the three candidates in Helsinki at the European Athletics 131st Council meeting.

With eight months to go before Helsinki hosts the 2012 Championships, European Athletics will award the rights to host the 2016 edition of its flagship event - which from next year will be held every two years, instead of four.

The Croatian city of Split is the only city out of the three candidates to have hosted the European Athletics Championships, in 1990.

It was an event memorable as it brought to wider worldwide attention for the first time publicly the simmering tensions that existed in what was then Yugoslavia.

Within a few months the countries that made up Yugoslavia were at war, a bloody conflict that was to last four years and saw at least 130,000 people lose their lives.

It was also the last participation of East Germany, which was already scheduled to be merged with the Federal Republic, following the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

They went out in style by finishing the most successful nation with a total of 34 medals, including 12 gold, with Katrin Krabbe (pictured) claiming the 100 and 200 metres double.


East Germany finished ahead of Britain, who shocked everyone by coming second in the medals table with a total of 18, nine of them gold, including winning every male event between 100m and 800m.

A decision in favour of Istanbul, who are already due to host next year's IAAF World Indoor Championships, would give their hopes for staging the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics a big boost. 

For Amsterdam, meanwhile, it would give their proposed Olympic bid for 2028 fresh impetus.

The 2012 European Athletics Championships will take place in Helsinki through June 27 to July 1, althougth the quality of the competition is still in doubt as it is scheduled so close to the Olympics in London.

The Swiss city of Zurich will continue the two-year cycle of the event when hosting the 2014 Championships from August 12 until 17.

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