29th September 2009 11:00
Thórdís Lilja Gísladóttir received the European Athletics Women’s Leadership Award during the European Athletics Awards Dinner presented by Mondo in Budapest, Hungary, on 17 October.
The award was presented by European Athletics President Hansjorg Wirz and the jury chairperson Sylvia Barlag.
Gísladóttir was selected from 24 national winners, three of which joined her on stage to receive their award during the presentation: Sirje Lippe of Estonia, Tatsiana Ledouskaja of Belarus, and Ildikó Dornbach of Hungary.
A specially commissioned piece of artwork was given to each of the winners in Budapest and to representatives of the federations of the other national winners, who will make presentations in their own countries. The lithograph print, designed by art student Parisa Baro from Lausanne, was produced in a limited series of 24 and signed by the artist. It serves as a symbolic link between the 24 national winners.
Aysegul Baklaci of Türkiye, Ingrid Ness Rolland of Norway and Anna Linner of Sweden were also recognised during the ceremony as recipients of the first –ever European Athletics Future Women Leaders Scholarship Programme.
“I am very honoured to receive this award on behalf of all the national winners,” said Gísladóttir, “I hope this award will encourage women to work for athletics and to give their valuable experience back to the sport.”
A video was produced from the event and can be seen from the link on this page.
A complete list of Women’s Leadership Award National Winners is as follows:
Satenik Ghazaryan - Armenia
Sonja Spendelhofer - Austria
Tatsiana Ledouskaja - Belarus
Dominique Gavage - Belgium
Liliyana Videva - Bulgaria
Dana Zatopkova - Czech Republic
Susanne Hedeager - Denmark
Sirje Lippe - Estonia
Eila Kelo - Finland
Odile Diagana - France
Steffi Nerius - Germany
Maria Zarokanellou-Sotirakopoulou - Greece
Ildikó Dornbach - Hungary
Thórdís Lilja Gísladóttir - Iceland
Maeve Kyle - Ireland
Zehava Shmueli - Israel
Zita Tindziuliene - Lithuania
Alexandra Marghieva - Moldova
Simone Martine Richardson - Netherlands
Unni Helland - Norway
Ann Axelsson - Sweden
Eveline Hodler - Switzerland
Nese Gundogan - Türkiye
Tetyana Klevakina - Ukraine