Farah named top athlete in Europe

Britain’s Mo Farah has been named European athlete of the year following his gold and silver medals at the World Championships in Daegu.

Farah won the 5,000 metres title in South Korea, seven days after being narrowly beaten to the 10,000m title by Ethiopia’s Ibrahim Jeilan. The 28-year-old also set a European indoor record over 5,000m in Birmingham in February and successfully defended his 3,000m title at the European Indoors in Paris the following month.

Farah, who finished ahead of France’s Christophe Lemaitre and fellow British world champion Dai Greene in the voting, followed that with a European record over 10,000m in June and a British record over 5,000m in July. He will be recognised for his feats at the European Athletics awards night on 15 October in Arona, Spain, alongside the women’s winner Mariya Savinova, of Russia, who took 800m gold in Daegu. Savinova, 26, suffered only one defeat in ten outings over 800m and won world gold.

The awards are voted for by fans, media and European Athletics member federations as well as a panel of experts.

The European Athletics rising star of the year winners, David Storl of Germany and Britain’s Jodie Williams, will also be present to pick up their awards.