European Athletes of the Year: Karsten Warholm and Mariya Lasitskene

Karsten Warholm and Mariya Lasitskene, photo by European Athletics

Stuart Weir wrote this piece on the Golden Track awards night at the European Athletics Convention. EA had some challenging decisions on the women’s side, as the mens’ decision was pretty apparent.

European athletes of the year

It is hard to disagree with the choice by European Athletics of their athletes of the year, Karsten Warholm and Mariya Lasitskene.

Karsten Warholm, photo by European Athletics

Karsten Warholm’s season-in-brief

-European indoor 400m champion
-World 400m hurdles champion
-Diamond League champion
-Equalled the European indoor 400m record of 45.05
-European 400m hurdles records of 47.33, 47.12, 46.92
-Unbeaten in 17 races across all distances including heats

Mariya Lasitskene, photo by European Athletics

Mariya Lasitskene’s season-in-brief

-European indoor high jump champion
-World champion
-Diamond League champion
-World Military Games champion
-World leader at 2.06m
-Won 22 of her 24 competitions
-Cleared 2.00m or higher in 18 competitions

Karsten Warholm with EA President Sven Arrne Hansen, photo by European Athletics

Warholm who has been outstanding in 2019, commented “My plan is to keep up the good work. I know that achievements are made in training and this is where I will put in the good work.”

Cherry Alexander, Vice President, European Athletics, photo by European Athletics

Lasitkene is also a worthy winner but a case could have been made for Dina Asher-Smith from Great Britain, Malaika Mihambo from Germany and the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan. Lasitskene is the third female high jumper to win this award after Croatia’s Blanka Vlasic in 2007 and 2010 and Spain’s Ruth Beitia in 2016. She said: “It is a huge honour to win this award and be recognised as the Athlete of the Year by European Athletics. It has been a great year for me and it was a thrill to become the first high jumper to win the World Championships on three occasions.”