Posted: January 9, 2006

Athletics: Sinbayeva, Alekna Named 2005 European Athletes Of The Year

By Bob Ramsak, Track Profile

© 2005 Track Profile all rights reserved TrackProfile.com

Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva and Lithuanian discus thrower Virgilijus Alekna have been voted the winners of the Waterford Crystal European Athlete of the Year Trophy 2005, the European Athletics Association (EAA) announced today. For both athletes, it was the first time that they have won the award.

The annual poll was conducted via the EAA's website, through three separate voting ballots: one for member federations, one for media, and another for the public at large. Both athletes topped the voting in each category.

The 23-year-old Isinbayeva, who was also named the 2005 Athlete of the Year by the International Athletics Foundation and the U.S. magazine, Track & Field News, became the first woman to break the five meter barrier in the pole vault. She set her ninth world record of the year --and the 18th of her senior career-- at the World Championships in Helsinki last August, with a clearance of 5.01 (16-5 1/4).

Currently, her indoor record stands at 4.90 (16-0 3/4). Her assault on that record will begin at the Pole Vault Stars competition in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Feb. 12. She is also scheduled to compete the following weekend at the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham, England.

Alekna was beaten only once in 2005 in 20 competitions and ended the year fourth in the IAAF overall men's world rankings. The 33-year-old took gold at the World Championships in Helsinki with a last round throw of 70.17m (230-2), the first ever throw over 70m (229-8) at a global championships, and one of five competitions over 70 metres for Alekna in 2005.

Ladji Doucouré of France, the world champion in the 110m hurdles, was runner-up in the men’s poll; world heptathlon champion Carolina Klüft of Sweden was the runner-up in the women's, edging Golden League Jackpot winner Tatyana Lebedeva.

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