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European Athletics News - Carolina Klüft wins European Athlete of the Year 2006 |
Swedish all-round superstar Carolina Klüft, has been voted the Waterford Crystal European Athlete of the Year for 2006.
The 23-year-old, who last won the coveted trophy in 2003, had something of a dream season, winning all three of her heptathlon competitions, including the European Athletics Championships in front of her home fans in Gothenburg in August.
Klüft, who was narrowly beaten for the award last year by world pole vault record holder Yelena Isinbayeva, suffered her last defeat in a combined events contest at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in 2002 and is planning on defending the crown she won in Madrid in 2005 in Birmingham in March.
"For me the sport is all about performing at the major championships and I am really looking forward to the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Birmingham" she said. "I won the World Indoor title there in 2003 and my great rival Kelly Sotherton (GBR) will have the home crowd willing her on this time, so it will certainly be a big challenge."
Belgium's Kim Gevaert, who won the sprint double in Gothenburg and 2005 Waterford Crystal European Athlete of the Year Yelena Isinbayeva, tied for second place just ahead of Olympic Long Jump Champion Tatyana Lebedeva and High Jumpers Kajsa Bergqvist (SWE) and Tia Hellebaut (BEL).
The Waterford Crystal European Athlete of the Year internet poll on the European Athletics website, was open to Member Federations, the media and the public through three different voting forums. An athlete's points are calculated by adding their position in each of the three voting categories. For example, the media and the public voted Carolina Klüft number one and the member federations voted her number two giving a total of four points (1+1+2=4)
The men's winner will be announced tomorrow, January 9th.
Waterford Crystal European Athlete of the Year 2006 (Women)
Rank Athlete Country Points
1) Carolina Klüft (SWE) 4 2) Kim Gevaert (BEL) 7 Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) 7 4) Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS) 14 5) Kajsa Bergqvist (SWE) 15 6) Tia Hellebaut (BEL) 17 7) Susanne Kallur (SWE) 25 8) Tatyana Lysenko (RUS) 26 9) Lornah Kiplagat (NED) 32 Vanya Stambolova (RUS) 32 11) Marta Dominguez (ESP) 35 Ulrike Maisch (GER) 35 13) Steffi Nerius (GER) 37 14) Franka Dietzsch (GER) 38 15) Barbora Spotakova (CZE) 46 Alesia Turava (BLR) 46 17) Inga Abitova (RUS) 47 18) Tatyana Tomashova (RUS) 49 19) Natallia Khoroneko (BLR) 50 20) Yuliya Chizhenko (RUS) 53 Olga Kotlyarova (RUS) 53 22) Lyudmila Kolchanova (RUS) 56 Darya Pishchalnikova (RUS) 56 24) Yevgeniya Isakova (RUS) 58 25) Ryta Turava (BLR) 61
Carolina Klüft
2006 Season Performances:
100 m
11.74 -1.8 Karlstad 20 Jul
200 m
24.26 -2.1 Götzis 27 May 23.89 1.8 Karlstad 21 Jun 23.65 1.3 Arles 1 Jul 23.86 0.2 Göteborg 7 Aug
800 m
2:11.48 Arles 2 Jul
100 m hurdles
13.63 -0.1 Götzis 27 May 13.64w 2.2 Arles 1 Jul 13.54 0.3 Sollentuna 16 Jul 13.70 0.3 Sollentuna 16 Jul 13.35 1.0 Göteborg 7 Aug
High Jump
1.88 Götzis 27 May 1.79 Karlstad 21 Jun 1.92 Arles 1 Jul 1.87 Karlstad 20 Jul 1.89 Göteborg 7 Aug
Long Jump
6.50 0.6 Götzis 28 May 6.67 1.5 Oslo 2 Jun 6.32 -0.5 Arles 2 Jul 6.31 0.7 Sollentuna 14 Jul 6.46 1.8 Sollentuna 15 Jul 6.48 0.4 Stockholm 25 Jul 6.65w 2.2 Göteborg 8 Aug 6.53 0.6 Göteborg 11 Aug 6.54 1.8 Göteborg 13 Aug
Shot Put
15.05 Götzis 27 May 14.05 Arles 1 Jul 14.70 Sollentuna 15 Jul 14.56 Göteborg 7 Aug
Javelin Throw
50.96 Götzis 28 May 49.90 Karlskrona 12 Jun 46.86 Arles 2 Jul 46.73 Sollentuna 16 Jul 46.94 Göteborg 8 Aug
Heptathlon
6719 Götzis 28 May 6665 European Cup Arles 2 Jul 6740 European Championships Göteborg 8 Aug
4 x 100 m Relay
43.86 Karlskrona 12 Jun Sweden Emma Rienas, Carolina Klüft, Susanna Kallur, Emma Green
44.16 Göteborg 13 Aug Sweden Susanna Kallur, Carolina Klüft, Jenny Kallur, Emma Green
Source: European Athletics
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Robert Katzenbeisser
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