European Athletics (EAA) – News – Harting and Chicherova voted European Athletes of the Month for September

European Athletics is pleased to announce that newly crowned world champions Robert Harting of Germany and Anna Chicherova of Russia have been voted as the European Athletes of the Month for September.

A week after winning the world title in Daegu, the giant from Germany continued his good run at the Diamond League final in Zurich and won the title with a throw of 67.02m. He competed in four other meetings in September, won them all and ended the season unbeaten.

Chicherova finished her outdoor season on an equally impressive note clearing 2.05m at the Diamond League meeting in Brussels. And, like Harting, she remained undefeated in the three meetings she participated in after the World Championships in Daegu.

For their memorable performances during the month of September, they have been voted as European Athletes of the Month after scores of athletics fans from across the continent cast their votes.

The performances at the World Championships have not been taken into account since they were already included in the European Athlete of the Year Award nominations.

Poland's Adam Kszczot clocked the European season leading time and a national under 23 record of 1:43:30 in Rieti and was voted second in the men's poll followed by javelin world champion Matthias de Zordo of Germany. The Daegu gold medallist enjoyed a fantastic finale to the summer, improving his personal best to 88.36m in Brussels to win the Diamond Race for 2011.

In the women's poll, hammer world record holder Betty Heidler of Germany finished second behind Chicherova after registering four wins in two weeks following the World Championships at Elstal, Berlin, Dubnica and St Wendel. Her throw of 77.53m in Elstal was the second best throw of her career and better than anybody else apart from herself this year. She also pocketed the hammer challenge for the year 2011.

The female winner of the 2011 European Athlete of the Year Mariya Savinova of Russia finished third in the poll after she took the top prize in the 800m at the Diamond League meeting in Zurich, clocking 1:58.27.

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% 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.

Previous winners:

 Note: There were no poll for the month of August due to voting for the European Athlete of the Year.

 European Athletics (EAA) – News