May is traditionally the real start of the outdoor track & field season and following major competitions like the European Champion Clubs Cups and European Cup Race Walking, European Athletics is pleased to announce the nominations for the European Athlete of the Month for May representing 15 countries.

At the end of each month, a panel of experts produce a shortlist of the outstanding athletes and performances achieved by European Athletes during that month which is emailed to the European Athletics media and thousands of fans who have already signed up to receive news from European Athletics.

The poll is situated in the Fan Zone of the European Athletics website and both the public, media and a group of expert statisticians will cast their votes, with each category counting as 33.3 percent of the vote.

For example, the winner of the each poll will be awarded 10 points, second nine points, etc. and the athlete with the most points after the three different polls have been counted will be declared the winner. In the unlikely event of a tie, Hansjörg Wirz, the President of European Athletics, will have the casting vote.

The voting will close on Thursday 11 June at 12 noon.

The European Athlete of the Month initiative was launched in January 2007 and is designed to recognise outstanding performers at all levels of the sport in Europe.

European Athletics will name a male and female winner each month and feature the athlete on the European Athletics website.

No athlete who has previously served a two-year anti-doping ban can be nominated for the European Athlete of the Month.

Men

Francis Obikwelu POR            100m
(Ran a slightly wind assisted 10.09 to win the European Champion Clubs Cup in Castellón, Spain)

Michael Bingham GBR            400m
(Ran fastest 400m by a European in 2009 with 45.05 victory in North Carolina, USA)

Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad FRA    1500m/3000m
(Only European to go sub 3.37 this year with a 3:35.06 clocking in Rabat, Morocco. Also ran 7:53.50 for 3,000m at Doha GP)
 
Mourad Amdouni FRA            5,000m       
(Has the fastest 5,000m clocking by a European this season with 13:14.19 in Rabat, Morocco)       

Stanislav Melnykov UKR            400m Hurdles
(Europe's fastest 400m hurdler with a 49.70 performance in Osaka)
 
Ivan Ukhov RUS                    High Jump
(Leading European in 2009 with a 2.34m clearance to win the European Champion Clubs Cup in Castellón, Spain)

Malte Mohr GER                Pole Vault
(Europe's leading pole vaulter by 10cm with a 5.80m clearance in Soest, Germany)

Roman Novotný CZE                Long Jump
(Was Europe's leading long jumper in May with an 8.16m leap from the Czech Club Championships in Prague)

Nelson Évora POR                Triple Jump
(Europe's leading triple jumper with a 17.66m victory at South American GP in Belem)


Tomasz Majewski POL            Shot Put
(Has the longest throw in Europe in 2009 with a 21.22m throw in Doha GP)

Vadims Vasiïevskis LAT            Javelin
(Boasts the longest throw in the world this year with a rare 90m plus throw of 90.71 in Valmeira, Lativa)

Michael Schrader GER                Decathlon
(Leads the European rankings by over 200 points with a score of 8522 in Götzis, Austria)

Giorgio Rubino ITA                20km Walk
(Won European Cup 20km Walk in Metz in 1:24.06)

Denis Nizhegorodov RUS            50km Walk
(Won European Cup 50km Walk in Metz in 3:42.47)

Women

Aksana Drahun BLR                100m
(Leads the European rankings over 100m with 11.34 clocking in Minsk)

Yuliya Gushchina RUS            200m/400m
(Europe's leading 200m/400m sprinter in 2009 with a 22.63 and 51.11 clockings in Sochi)

Tatyana Andrianova RUS                    800m
(Only European to go sub 2 minutes outdoors this season with 1:59.60 in Moscow)

Gulnara Galkina RUS                1500m
(Ran fastest time in Europe in May with a 4:03.62 clocking in Sochi)

Sabrina Mockenhaupt GER            5000m/10,000m
(Only European to go sub 15 in 2009 with a 14:59.88 clocking to win in Koblenz. Also fastest European over 10,000m with 31:27.56 in Bremen)

Christina Vukicevic NOR                100m Hurdles
(Leads European rankings with 12.87 Norwegian records in Oslo as part of her 4 Norwegian records set in 2009)

Tasha Danvers GBR                400m Hurdles
(Europe's leading 400m hurdler with a 55.19 victory in New York)

Blanka Vlašiæ CRO                    High Jump
(Leads European rankings by 9cm with a 2.05m clearance in Doha)
 
Aleksandra Kiryashova RUS            Pole Vault
(Currently leading the European rankings with a 4.60m winning vault at European Champion Clubs Cup in Castellón, Spain )

Naide Gomes POR                Long Jump
(Recorded Europe's longest jump of the outdoor 2009 season with a 6.82m leap in Doha Grand Prix)

Anna Pyatykh RUS            Triple Jump
(Leading European with a 14.37m leap in Kalamáta, Greece)

Natallia Mikhnevich BLR                Shot Put
(Europe's leading outdoor shot putter with 20.03m throw in Uberlândia)

Nadine Müller GER                    Discus
(Europe's leading Discus thrower with a 63.46m throw in Wiesbaden, Germany)

Martina Hrašnová SVK                Hammer
(Set new Slovakian record of 76.90m in Trnava to lead world rankings)

Christina Obergföll GER                Javelin
(Leading European in 2009 with a 68.40m throw in Halle)

Jessica Ennis GBR            Heptathlon
(Leading world rankings with a 6,587 pts victory in Desenzano del Garda.)

Maria Vasco ESP            20km Walk
(Won European Cup 20km Walk in 1:32.53)

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