17 July 2008

Phillips Idowu (Belgrave Harriers) has been voted the Athletes of the Month for June, European Athletics has announced

Beijing bound Idowu has outstanding major championship credentials to his name already as he is the current European and World Indoor Triple Jump champion.

Taking over the considerable mantle of Jonathan Edwards, Idowu is leading the World in his event in 2008, and is also unbeaten this season.

In June he jumped a then World leading distance of 17.55m to win a European Athletics permit meeting in Chania, Greece and followed this with a scintillating 17.46m victory at the Spar European Cup in Annecy in June, a performance which won him the Athlete of the Cup award.

He followed this last weekend with 17.58m and 17.57m at the Aviva Olympic Trials

The runners-up in the women’s poll were Polish pole vaulter Monika Pyrek and Spain’s latest hurdles sensation Josephine Onyia while Norwegian Javelin thrower Andreas Thorkildsen and Ireland’s 400m star David Gillick were the runners up on the men’s side.

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 will name a male and female winner each month and feature the athlete on the European Athletics website. Selections are based on votes by the public, the media and a panel of European Athletics experts with each counting for 33.3% of the final vote.

Visit the European Athletics website for more details