European Athletics is pleased to announce that Russian high jumper Ivan Ukhov and multi-events specialist Jessica Ennis of Great Britain have been voted as the European Athletes of the Month for January.
The mercurial Russian Ukhov started the 2011 indoor season with a bang, clearing a world-leading 2.38m in Hustopeče and then had a very close miss at the world record height of 2.44m.
Nobody in the world has jumped higher since Ukhov himself went over 2.38m in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, last March. The reigning European indoor champion will once again be an overwhelming favourite for the gold medal at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Paris next month.
European and world heptathlon champion Ennis started her season with a world-leading time of 7.97 and victory over the American hurdler and 2010 world indoor champion Lolo Jones, in the 60m hurdles at the Aviva International Match in Glasgow.
Ennis won the pentathlon at the World Indoor Championships in Doha last year with a British record score of 4937 points, just 54 shy of the world record set by Russia’s Irina Belova in 1992. The Briton is aiming to better Belova’s mark at the European indoors in Paris.
French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie, who cleared a world season leading 5.92m in Aubière, was voted second in the men’s poll while Germany’s Lars Albert, who produced a personal best of 5777 points to win the national heptathlon title, came third.
Russian teenage prodigy Mariya Kuchina cleared a world junior best and 2011 world-leading mark of 1.97m at Beskydska latka meeting in the Czech city of Trinec and was voted second behind Ennis in the women’s poll. Briton Helen Clitheroe, who clocked 8:52.31to win the 3000m race in Glasgow, finished third in the women’s poll.
European Athletics’ monthly poll received overwhelming support from thousands of athletics fans and media alike this month from all over Europe.
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 and features the athlete on the European Athletics website.
Selections are based on votes by the public, media and a panel of European Athletics experts – each counting for 33.3 percent of the final vote. No athlete who has previously served a two-year doping ban can be nominated for or win the European Athlete of the Month award.