byLarry Eder
Lavillenie and Schippers
BAKU (AZE): French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie and sprinter Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands were named European Athletes of the Year at the Golden Tracks awards ceremony in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Saturday evening. Great Britain’s 200 m European Champion Adam Gemili and Russia’s high jumper Mariya Kuchina claimed the European Athletics Rising Star awards. With the Golden Tracks being shown live on television and streamed live across the world, all four athletes were present to collect their trophies in a glittering ceremony at the Fairmont Hotel in the iconic Flame Towers accompanied by the Orient Express band live music. Lavillenie, Kuchina and Schippers plan to compete indoors next year, but Gemili for the moment no. Azerbaijan public television channel iTV produced a 45-minute programme that was made available live to European Broadcasting Union members, with the programme also being broadcast on national television later that evening. In the men ranking second Bohdan Bondarenko and third Mo Farah, in women ranking second Anita Wlodarczyk and third Ruth Beitia. In the Rising Star ranking among men second Polish shot putter Konrad Bukowiecki and third French hurdler Wilhelm Belocian. In the women ranking second Swiss pole vaulter Angelica Moser and third Czech walking World junior champion Anezka Drahotova. Also presented to Briton Scott Grace the European Athletics Innovation Award (20 000 CHF) for his programme to retain and develop young athletes called “Athletics 365”. In total 57 coaches are awarded representing 31 federations, among them directly in Baku from Turkey Zeynep Batar for her coaching work in junior category and Maharram Sultanadze, the head coach of Azerbaijan federation.
