16 September 2008

European Athletics is delighted to announce the nominations for the 2008 Waterford Crystal European Athlete of the Year.

GB nominated athletes are: Christian Malcolm, Jeanette Kwakye, Sarah Claxton, Tasha Danvers and Christine Ohuruogu.

The on-line poll to choose the winners is now open, with voting taking place on the European Athletics website until September 25.

The list was compiled by selecting the top European athlete in each event, based largely on performances in the Olympic Games in Beijing. Only in very exceptional cases were two athletes were nominated for the one event.

The winners of the Waterford Crystal European Athlete of the Year will be decided by votes from the general public, media, European Athletics Member Federations, and an expert panel with the results from each group of voters counting for one quarter of the athlete’s final score. Each voter must select their five preferred athletes and rank them in order of priority.

European Athletics President Hansjörg Wirz said: "2008 was another exciting year for the sport in Europe culminating with the spectacular Olympic Games in Beijing. Europe continues to be the dominant area in world athletics but there is still room for improvement, especially in the track events on the men’s side. However with the next games taking place in London in 2012, I am confident we can improve our dominance."

The winners of the Waterford Crystal European Athlete of the Year will be presented with their awards at the European Athletics Convention in Amsterdam, Netherlands on October 18th.

Click here for voting information:

http://www.european-athletics.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5576&Itemid=274