Johannes Vetter and Katerina Stefanidi named European athletes of the year

Johannes Vetter and Katerina Stefanidi were named European athletes of the year at the Golden Tracks awards ceremony in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Saturday, October 14.

In a summer in which they both claimed world titles – in the javelin and pole vault respectively – Germany’s Vetter moved to second on the world all-time list with his 94.44m throw in Lucerne in July, while Stefanidi remained unbeaten and cleared a world-leading Greek record of 4.91m, plus won the Diamond League series title.

Vetter received his award from first vice president of European Athletics, Dobromir Karamarinov, gaining the honour ahead of Turkey’s world 200m champion Ramil Guliyev and France’s world decathlon champion Kevin Mayer, who were also shortlisted.

Stefanidi was presented with her award by European Athletics president Svein Arne Hansen, with Russia’s world high jump champion Maria Lasitskene, Belgium’s world heptathlon champion Nafissatou Thiam and Poland’s world hammer champion Anita Wlodarczyk also shortlisted.

Earlier in the evening, world 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm from Norway and world high jump silver medallist Yuliia Levchenko from Ukraine were crowned male and female rising stars.

Guests at the ceremony included IAAF president Sebastian Coe.

Source: AW