Howe and Vlašić earn European Athlete of the Month honours for September

Andrew Howe is the men's European Athlete of the Month for September

European Athletics is pleased to announce that Italian long jump star Andrew Howe and Croatian high jump queen Blanka Vlašić have been voted as the European Athletes of the Month for September.

Howe, the 2006 European champion in long jump who returned to action in 2010 after two injury-marred years, clocked a sensational meet of record of 20.30 in the 200m at the Notturna Meet in Milan last month - just two-hundredths away from his PB.

Howe competes sparingly at 200m but did win gold in the event as well as in long jump at the 2004 World Junior Championships.

Reigning European and world champion Vlašić, meanwhile, fulfilled her long cherished ambition of winning in front of her home crowd when she helped Team Europe to victory at the Continental Cup in Split with a championships record of 2.05m.

The Croatian, of course, has just been crowned European Athlete of the Year for a second time, attending the European Athletics Awards Night presented by Mondo last weekend in Belgrade, Serbia.

Russian high jumper Ivan Ukhov finished second in the men’s Athlete of the Month poll after clearing a world season-leading 2.36m in Opole in September.

French sprint sensation Christophe Lemaitre, alongside Vlašić the 2010 European Athlete of the Year, finished third in the September poll after an unstoppable period when he won the 100m at the Continental Cup a week after clocking a personal best 9.97 in Reiti towards the end of August.

David Greene finished fourth in the poll after the Briton clocked a personal best of 47.88 in Split to win the 400m hurdles in the Continental Cup.

Three Russians filled out the places after Vlašić in the women’s Athlete of the Month poll. Tatyana Sibileva came second after clocking 41.53 to win the IAAF Challenge Race Walking event in Beijing.

Aleksandra Fedoriva placed third after taking 200m honours in Split in a time of 22.86, while Mariya Abakumova produced a championships record of 68.14m to claim maximum points for Team Europe at the same event and earn her fourth place in the Athlete of the Month poll.

European Athletics’ monthly poll received overwhelming support from tens of thousands of athletics fans and media alike this month from all over Europe, with Russian fans in particular coming out in force to vote for their star athletes.

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 names a male and female winner each month and features the athlete on the European Athletics website.

Selections are based on votes by the public, media and a panel of European Athletics experts – each counting for 33.3% of the final vote. No athlete who has previously served a two-year doping ban can be nominated for or win the European Athlete of the Month award.