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| Renaud Lavillenie of France has been voted European Athlete of the Month for February. (Getty Images) |
European Athletics is pleased to announce that the 2013 European indoor pole vault champion Renaud Lavillenie of France and 60m hurdles gold medallist Nevin Yanit of Türkiye have been voted as the European Athletes of the Month for February.
The European Athlete of the Month for February nominations exceptionally included performances made at the 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships, which were held between 1-3 March in the Swedish city of Gothenburg.
Lavillenie, the 2012 Olympic and European champion, won his third consecutive European Athletics Indoor Championships pole vault gold with a world-leading height of 6.01m.
Yanit, 27, added the European indoor title to the outdoor title she won in Helsinki last June, clocking a national record and European-leading time of 7.89.
The Netherlands' Eelco Sintnicolaas, who extended his world-lead in the heptathlon when he won in Gothenburg with national record of 6372 points, was voted second in the men's poll. Although the 25-year-old Dutchman received slightly more public votes than Lavillenie, an overwhelming number of media votes helped the Frenchman take top spot.
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| Following her superb 60m hurdlesgold in Göteborg, Nevin Yanit of Türkiye was voted female European Athlete of the Month. |
Italian triple jumper Daniele Greco, who won at the 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships with a stunning world-leading mark and personal best of 17.70m to take the title by no less than 40cm, finished third.
In the women's poll, Russia's Darya Klishina, who successfully defended her European Athletics Indoor Championships title when she flew out to the world-leading distance of 7.01m in Göteborg, was voted second.
Yanit was an overwhelming leader in the public voting, and that helped her pip the Russian who received slightly more media votes.
Portugal's Sara Moreira won her first continental title winning the 3000m race at the 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships in 8:58.50. She remains undefeated after six indoor races this winter, and for her great performance this season she was voted third in the women's poll.
The European Athlete of the Month initiative was launched in January 2007 and is designed to recognise outstanding performers at all levels of the sport in Europe. European Athletics names a male and female winner each month. No athlete who has previously served a two-year doping ban can be nominated for the European Athlete of the Month.