Thirty-one winners of the 2011 European Athletics Women’s Leadership Awards were announced during the European Athletics Awards Night, presented by Mondo, in Arona, Spain, on 15 October.
The winners were selected for the prize by their national athletics federations based on the criteria work and accomplishments, other than in competition, which are a significant contribution that serves as an example of leadership and other values of the sport of athletics.
Anni Kirvesniemi-Bosco of Finland was presented with the first award by European Athletics President Hansjörg Wirz after being selected to represent all the winners at the ceremony in Arona. The others will receive their awards in ceremonies organised by their federations.
“I congratulate Anni and all the winners of this year’s awards,” said President Wirz. “Each of them is a wonderful role model for young women in our sport and they are showing how athletics can contribute to people’s quality of life through competition, fitness, education and community service.'
The awards consist of a certificate, a European Athletics silver pin and a limited edition print created by Marjolaine Perreten, a student at Lausanne's Ecole Romande d'arts et de Communication (ERACOM).
The biennial awards were created in 2009 as the centrepiece of European Athletics' strategy to promote the development of women leaders and gender equity in the sport. Twenty-four of European Athletics Member federations participated in the first edition.
This year, 30 federations honoured women whose accomplishments range from successful coaching to leading athletics clubs and even a starter for major international events. Switzerland awarded a joint prize to Jacquelin Ryffel and Verena Weibel for their work to create and organise the Swiss Women’s Run, now in its 25th year and attracting more than 14,000 participants for each edition.
In addition to the awards, European Athletics awarded three scholarships to young women identified by their federations as future leaders for a leadership development programme that will be delivered in 2012. The scholarship winners are Timea Daka of Hungary, Aneta Lemiesz of Poland, and Simona Svachova of the Slovak Republic.
Profiles of the winners will be published on the European Athletics website in the coming weeks.
For a complete list of the 2011 winners click here.
For more information on the Women’s Leadership Awards click here.