European Athletics (EAA) – News – Otto and Špotáková voted European Athletes of the Month for September |

European Athletics is pleased to announce that German pole vaulter Björn Otto and the Czech Republic's Barbora Špotáková have been voted as the European Athletes of the Month for September.

The 34-year-old Otto capped a great summer, during which he won silver medals at the 2012 European Athletics Championships and London Olympic Games, with a world leading jump of 6.01m in the Domspringen, a special pole vault meeting, in Aachen on 5 September.

It was not only the best pole vault in the world this year but a German record, displacing Tim Lobinger's 15-year-old mark of 6.00 from the summit of the German all-time rankings.

Špotáková, who successfully defended her Olympic gold in London, threw 66.91m for an easy win at the Samsung Diamond League final in Brussels on 7 September and with that she also won the Diamond Race in javelin with 26 points.

Belgium's Hans van Alphen, fourth-place finisher at the Olympic Games, won the decathlon title at the famous Talence multi-events meeting in France with 8293 points on 16 September and was voted second in the men's poll.

British sprints prodigy Adam Gemili, the 2012 World Junior Championships 100m winner, ran 20.38 in Derby on 9 September, the fastest time by a European junior since 2009, and followed van Alphen in the men's poll.

European and Olympic discus champion Sandra Perkovic of Croatia extended her winning streak to six competitions this season with a throw of 65.79m in Zagreb on 4 September and for her performance she was voted second in the women's poll ahead of high jumper Svetlana Shkolina of Russia. The 2012 Olympic Games bronze medallist jumped 2.01m to win in Rieti, Italy, on 4 September and three days later cleared 2.00m to win at the Samsung Diamond League final in Brussels.

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.

European Athletics (EAA) – News

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