Germany’s Johannes Vetter and Hungary’s Anita Marton have been voted male and female European Athletes of the Month for March 2018.
Vetter secured the vote which took place across European Athletics’ Twitter and Facebook accounts ahead of Frenchmen Renaud Lavillenie and Kevin Mayer, Great Britain’s Andrew Pozzi and Russia’s Danil Lysenko.
Vetter had already surpassed the 90m line this season but he added further distance to his world-leading mark in the javelin at the European Throwing Cup in Leiria, Portugal. The world champion went out to 92.70m, adding nearly seven metres to teammate Julian Weber’s championship record.
It was the 12th best throw in history and a mark only surpassed by four other athletes: world record-holder Jan Zelezny, reigning Olympic champion Thomas Rohler and former world champions Aki Parviainen and Julius Yego.
Your male Athlete of the Month for March 2018 is Johannes Vetter!
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) April 7, 2018
Vetter shattered the championship record at the European Throwing Cup in Leiria with a world-leading mark of 92.70m.#athleteofthemonth pic.twitter.com/dh7nrvKBte
Marton was voted Athlete of the Month on the women’s side ahead of last month’s winner Ivana Spanovic from Serbia, Katarina Johnson-Thompson from Great Britain, Russia’s Mariya Lasitskene and Croatia’s Sandra Perkovic.
Marton created history at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, becoming her country’s first ever gold medallist in championship history.
Marton produced a world-lead and national indoor record of 19.62m in the last round in Birmingham. A week later, Marton won the European Throwing Cup in Leiria, setting the early season standard with a world outdoor lead of 19.12m.
World Indoor Championships
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) April 7, 2018
European Throwing Cup
Your female Athlete of the Month for March 2018 is Hungary's Anita Marton! #athleteofthemonth pic.twitter.com/ziUQJyFTqN