Fans of European Athletics on social media have voted Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer and Poland’s Elzbieta Glinka as men’s and women’s Athlete of the Month for May 2026.
Five female and five male athletes were nominated for the accolade based purely on their exploits throughout the month with fan voting taking place across the week on the European Athletics website.
Ehammer’s decathlon breakthrough
Simon Ehammer unlocked some of his vast decathlon potential at the Götzis Hypo-Meeting where he took the victory over world champion Leo Neugebauer from Germany, adding more than 200 points to his lifetime best and Swiss record with 8778 points.
Ehammer laid the foundations with a record-breaking first day total. His day one score of 4764 points was the highest ever score amassed on the first day of the decathlon, thanks in no small part to a world decathlon best and world lead of 8.51m in the long jump which garnered 1194 points.
Ehammer’s lead was reduced on the second day by Neugebauer but Ehammer still took the plaudits, moving into the European all-time top-10 with his winning total of 8778 points.
This was the second time Ehammer has been voted Athlete of the Month in 2026. He also topped the polls in March 2026 following his victory and world indoor record of 6670 points at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships.
What he said…
"This victory means so much to me - even more than some championship medals. Winning here, in the mecca of combined events, has been one of my biggest dreams and is undoubtedly one of the greatest achievements of my career so far. I’m incredibly grateful for moments like this."
Historic 10,000m victory for Glinka
Poland had never won a medal in the three decade-long history of the European 10,000m Cup before latecomer Elzbieta Glinka struck gold in the women’s race in La Spezia.
Glinka might have had limited international experience prior but the 32-year-old showed the racing craft and pace judgement of a seasoned professional as she moved gradually through the field, eventually reeling in long-time leader Alessia Zarbo before pulling away for a dominant 10 second-plus victory in 31:45.36.
Glinka was a recreational runner as recently as 2023 but with her victory in La Spezia, the Pole has sealed qualification for the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham from 10-16 August which will be her first appearance at a major championships.
What she said…
"Winning the European 10,000m Cup was a very special moment for me and gave me a lot of motivation to keep going and chase my goals. Honestly, it still feels a bit surreal because not so long ago I was inspired by some of the best athletes in Europe and now I have the chance to be among them. My story shows it’s never too late to start and I want to say: just do your thing. This honour means a lot to me."