Jessica Ennis
European Athletics is pleased to announce that Germany’s discus superstar Robert Harting and British multi-events specialist Jessica Ennis have been voted as the European Athletes of the Month for May.
Harting demonstrated his great shape by going over 70 metres twice in little more than a week. He went over 70 metres for the first time in his career when he threw 70.31m at the famous Hallesche Werfertage throwing meeting in the German city of Halle on 19 May and improved his world-leading mark three days later to 70.66m, the best throw in the world for more than two years, in the Czech town of Turnov at the Ludvik Danek Memorial meeting.
Ennis, meanwhile, set a national record and world-leading total of 6906 points when winning at the famous Hypo meeting in the Austrian town of Götzis on 27 May.
Belgium’s Hans Van Alphen who produced a national record and world-leading total of 8519 points when winning at the Hypo meeting, was second in the men’s poll. The Netherland’s Churandy Martina, who set a European-leading time of 20.26 for the 200m at the Samsung Diamond League meeting in Doha on 11 May, finished third.
In the women’s poll, Barbora Špotáková, the Czech Republic’s javelin world record holder, who achieved a world-leading 68.65m at the Samsung Diamond League meeting in Rome on 31 May was voted second. Germany’s hammer world record holder Betty Heidler, who remains unbeaten this season, threw a mammoth 78.07m at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on 24 May and was voted third.
European Athletics’ monthly poll received overwhelming support from thousands of athletics fans and media alike this month from across the continent.
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. A male and female winner each month is named and featured 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 per cent 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.
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