Sandra Perkovic of Croatia is the 2010 winner of the women's European Athletics Rising Star of the Year Award presented by MONDO.
The 20-year-old became the youngest ever women's European discus champion when she claimed gold at the 2010 European Athletics Championships in Barcelona, Spain, in her first year of senior competition.
The Zagreb-born athlete also won gold in the under-23 category at the European Cup Winter Throwing in Arles, France, and produced a national record throw of 66.93m at the Memorial van Damme IAAF Diamond League meeting in Brussels.
Perkovic will be presented with her European Athletics Rising Star of the Year Award at the European Athletics Awards Night dinner in Belgrade on Saturday 16 October alongside the men's Rising Star winner and the European Athlete of the Year winners.
The men's Rising Star winner will be announced on Wednesday.
Fans, media and Euroopean Athletics Member Federations were invited to vote for the Rising Star of the Year on the European Athletics website. Along with the votes from a panel of experts, each group of voters' results count for one quarter of the athlete's final score.
The shortlist for the award included stars from this year's World Junior Championships and Youth Olympic Games and other young athletes who performed exceptionally well this year.
No athlete who has previously served a two-year doping ban can be nominated for the European Athletics Rising Star award.
Women's European Athletics Rising Star of the Year presented by MONDO final rankings
1. Sandra Perkovic (CRO)
2. Isabelle Pedersen (NOR)
3. Jodie Williams (GBR)
4. Angelica Bengtsson (SWE)
5. Darya Klishina (RUS)
6. Katsiaryna Artsiukh (BLR)
7. Marija Vukovic (MNE)
8. Elena! Mirela (ROU)
9. Sophie Hitchon (GBR)
10. Ciara Mage! ean (IRL )
11. Antonella Palmisano (ITA)
12. Sanni Utriainen (FIN)
Previous women's Rising Star winners
2009 Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal (NOR)
2008 Stephanie Twell (GBR)
2007 Jessica Ennis (GBR)
2010 season: Sandra Perkovic
Discus
66.85 NR 1 NC-w Split 6 Mar
61.93 1 ECWT-w Arles 21 Mar
61.01 2 Bar 1 May
62.33 3 Diamond League Doha 14 May
59.71 6 Diamond League Oslo 4 Jun
63.55 1 Cro Cup Rijeka 5 Jun
61.96 1 Diamond League New York 12 Jun
63.42 1 ETC-2 Beograd 19 Jun
64.24 1-22 NC-j Zagreb 3 Jul
60.18 7 Diamond League Lausanne 8 Jul
64.31 1 NC Rijeka 10 Jul
63.62 3 Diamond League Saint-Denis 16 Jul
64.67 1 ECH Barcelona 28 Jul
63.30 2 Diamond League London 13 Aug
66.93 NR 1 Diamond League Bruxelles 27 Aug
65.56 1 Hanžekovic Zagreb 1 Sep
63.29 2 Cont Cup Split 4 Sep
Shot
15.71i NR 1 Zagreb 30 Jan
16.23i NR 1 NC Zagreb 27 Feb
16.02 NR 1 NC-w Split 6 Mar
15.69 1 Cro Cup Rijeka 6 Jun< /strong>
15.57 1 ETC-2 Beograd 20 Jun
14.99 1-22 NC-j Zagreb 4 Jul
14.55 1 NC Rijeka 11 Jul
Personal bests: Sandra Perkovic:
Discus
Outdoor: 66.93 (NR) Bruxelles 27 Aug 2010
Shot
Outdoor: 16.02 (NR) Split 6 Mar 2010
Indoor: 16.23 (NR) Zagreb 27 Feb 2010
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