17th April 2013 00:38
European Athletics is pleased to announce that former world javelin champion Tero Pitkí¤mí¤ki of Finland and two-time SPAR European cross country champion Fionnuala Britton of Ireland have been as the European Athletes of the Month for March.
Pitkí¤mí¤ki, the 2007 world champion, had several good performances in early season competitions in South Africa and these were topped by his 86.40m at Potchefstroom on 16 March. The 30-year-old gave ample indication he will be a force to reckon with this summer. Britton on the other hand was first European home in the senior race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz on 24 March and was an overwhelming favourite among voters for the female European Athlete of the Month.18-year-old French sprinter Mickael Meba-Zeze, who set a European junior indoor best over 200m when he sped to a time of 21.11 when winning his national junior title in Lyon on 17 March, was voted second in the men's poll. Although the prodigy received the highest number of public votes, an overwhelming number of media votes helped Pitkí¤mí¤ki take the top spot.
Spain's Sergio Sanchez, the European indoor record holder over 2000m and 3000m, was the first European man home at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and was voted third.
In the women's poll, the 2011 World Championships javelin gold medallist Mariya Abakumova of Russia was voted second following her massive world-leading 69.34m throw to win at the European Cup Winter Throwing in the Spanish town of Castellon on 16 March.
Türkiye's Emel Dereli won the under-23 shot put at the European Cup Winter Throwing with 16.78m on 16 March and for her feat was voted third. Her superb performance in Castellon makes her the favourite for the IAAF World Youth Championships which will be held in Donetsk, Ukraine, this summer.
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.