February saw some stunning performances by European athletes at the three European Athletics Indoor Permit meetings during the month.
Highlights included the French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie - who was the European Athlete of the Month for January - setting a world record of 6.16m in Donetsk on 15 February and the Russian high jumper Ivan Ukhov equalling the European record with a clearance of 2.42m in Prague on 25 February.
There was also the last of this winter’s European Athletics Cross Country Permit Meetings, held in the Serbian capital Belgrade at the same venue as the 2013 European Cross Country Championships.
Consequently, European Athletics is consequently pleased to announce that athletes from 12 different countries have been nominated for the February award.
At the end of each month, a panel of experts produces a short list of the outstanding athletes and performances achieved by European athletes during that month, which is then mailed to the European athletics media and thousands of fans who have signed up to receive news from European Athletics.
The European Athlete of the Month fan voting takes place through our Facebook page, while members of the media can cast their vote on our website.
Fans are also able to vote through the European Athletics mobile applications on iPhone and Android phones.
The public, media and a group of expert statisticians cast their votes for the European Athlete of the Month with each category counting as 33.3 per cent of the vote.
For example, the winner of each poll will be awarded 10 points, second 9 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 21 March at noon CET.
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.
No athlete who has previously served a two-year doping ban can be nominated for the European Athlete of the Month.
Click here to cast your fan vote.
MEN'S NOMINATIONS
Adam Kszczot POL (800m): the two-time European Athletics Indoor Championships 800m gold medallist had good wins in Gent and at his national championships in Sopot, as well as a European-leading time of 1:45.19 when finishing third in Birmingham on 15 February.
Aleksandr Menkov RUS (long jump): the 2013 World Championships gold medallist won both his outings this month, including leaping to a world-leading 8.30m in Moscow on 2 February and then coming out on top of a high quality field in Birmingham two weeks later.
David Storl GER (shot put): the two-time World Championships winner outdoors continues to dominate Europe’s big men this winter and he was unbeaten in his three outings in February, including reaching a European-leading 21.33m in Karlsruhe on 1 February.
Eelco Sintnicolaas NED (heptathlon): the 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships heptathlon winner set a world-leading total of 6242 points at his national championships in Apeldoorn on 15-16 February, and his marks including a shot put best of 14.
Homiyo Tesfaye GER (1500m): still only 20, the 2013 World Championships finallist set a big indoor personal best when he ran a European-leading time 3:37.35 in Birmingham on 15 February.
Ivan Ukhov RUS (high jump): the London 2012 Olympic Games champion had another phenomenal month and won all four of his competitions at 2.36m or higher, topped by when he equalled the European record of 2.42m in Prague on 25 February.
James Dasaolu GBR (60m): the 2013 World Championships 100m finallist sped to a world-leading time of 6.47 in Birmingham in his heat at the IAAF Indoor Permit meeting, and then won the final in 6.50.
Marian Oprea ROM (triple jump): the two-time European Athletics Indoor Championships medallist leapt a European-leading distance of 17.30m when winning his 15th national title, indoors and outdoors, in Bucharest on 15 February.
Pascal Martinot Lagarde FRA (60m hurdles): the 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships 60m hurdles bronze medallist won six of his seven races this month, including a world-leading time of 7.45 on home soil in Mondeville on 5 February.
Pavel Kryvitski BLR (hammer): the two-time IAAF World Championships finalist launched his implement out to a world-leading 79.21m, barely a metre below his best, at his national winter long throws championships in Stayki on 13 February.
Pavel Maslak CZE (sprints): had a prolific month and won all five of his competitions; he set a national record and 2014 European-leading 200m time of 20.52, a national record and 2014 European-leading 400m time of 45.52, and a European 500m best of 1:00.36.
Renaud Lavillenie FRA (pole vault): the reigning Olympic and European champion thrilled and astonished athletics fans everywhere when he set a world record of 6.16m at the European Athletics Indoor Permit Meeting in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk on 15 February.
WOMEN'S NOMINATIONSAbeba Aregawi SWE (1500m): the 2013 IAAF World Championships gold medallist has only made one appearance this winter but it was a sensational one, setting an outstanding European indoor record of 3:57.91 on home soil in Stockholm on 6 February.
Amela Terzic SRB (cross country): despite still only being 20, she won the White Cross event on home soil in Belgrade, the last European Athletics Cross Country Permit Meeting of the winter, for the fifth consecutive year on 2 February.
Anna Rogowska POL (pole vault): the 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships gold medallist cleared a world-leading 4.76m in Gent, Belgium, on 9 February to make her one of the host country’s big medal hopes at the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships.
Asha Philip GBR (60m): the 2007 IAAF World Youth Championships 100m winner is now showing her potential after several years of injury problems and clocked a European-leading 7.09 at her national championships in Sheffield on 8 February.
Christina Schwanitz GER (shot put): the 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships gold medallist continues to be the dominant putter indoors this year and produced a world-leading effort, and indoor personal best, of 20.05m in Rochlitz, Germany, on 2 February.
Dina Asher-Smith GBR (sprints): the 2013 European Athletics Junior Championships 200m gold medallist set European junior indoor 60m records in her semi-final and final at her national championships on 8 February, clocking 7.25 and then 7.22 just a few hours later.
Ivana Spanovic SRB (long jump): the 2013 IAAF World Championships bronze medallist leapt to a national record and European-leading distance of 6.92m when winning at the Balkan Championships in Istanbul, Türkiye, on 22 February.
Kseniya Ryzhova RUS (400m): the 2013 World Championships finalist clocked what were then world-leading times of 51.06 and then 51.03 to win her semi-final and final over two laps of the track at the Russian indoor championships in Moscow on 17 and 18 February.
Mariya Kuchina RUS (high jump): the 2011 European junior champion won all three of her competitions this month, including at the Russian championships, and she also cleared a personal best and world-leading height of 2.01m to win in Stockholm on 6 February.
Sifan Hassan NED (3000m): the 2013 European Cross Country Championships under 23 gold medallist showed her skills under cover and ran the fastest European time over 3000m when clocking what was then a world-leading 8:45.32 in Karlsruhe on 1 February.
Olha Saladuha UKR (triple jump): the 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships gold medallist equalled the world-leading mark of 14.65m at her national championships in Sumy on 21 February, and also jumped 14.60m in France earlier in the month.
Yana Maksimava BLR (pentathlon): the 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships pentathlon silver medallist produced a European-leading tally of 4686 points at her national championships in Gomel on 8 February, and also won the high jump title with 1.93m.