Great Britain’s Mo Farah was named the male European Athlete of the Year 2016, while Spanish jumper Ruth Beitia won the female category of the award at a ceremony held in Portugal on Saturday, October 15.
Farah retained the men’s 5000m/10,000m Olympic titles at Rio 2016, becoming only the second man in history after Finn Lasse Viren to achieve this feat. He also becomes the first man to win the European Athlete of the Year award three times.
Meanwhile Olympic Champion in the women’s High Jump, Beitia capped an outstanding season by winning GOLD in Rio at the age of 37, following her success at the European Championships in Amsterdam where she won her third consecutive crown.
She also ended the season on a high by winning the Diamond Race in the IAAF Diamond League series in 2016.
Belgium’s Naffisatou Thiam, who upstaged defending champion Jessica Ennis-Hill to win GOLD in the Heptathlon in Rio, received the Rising Star Award alongside Max Hess of Germany who scooped Silver in the men’s Triple Jump event at the 2016 World Indoor Championships in Portland.
