MALTA, January 1, 2014 – For the first time in his career, Mo Farah – one of the leading figures in the athletics world and for the third time in her carreer Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva are the winners in the 2013 Edition of the European Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards.
It was the 31st annual poll conducted by the AIPS – EUROPE as the biggest continental section of AIPS and was established in 1977 at the AIPS Congress in Milano Marittima. ?Since 2003, the annual poll was named the Frank Taylor Trophy in honour of the former president of both AIPS and UEPS.
Mo Farah, runner up in last year’s edition got a total of 58 votes ahead of Rafael Nadal (tennis) with 49 votes, Formula1 champion Sebastian Vettel with 44 votes and France football player Franck Ribery with 42 votes
The women's award for the Evgen Bergant Trophy was won for the third time by Russian athlete Yelena Isinbayeva with 56 votes ahead of Slovenian Tina Maze with 49 votes followed by Russian swimmer Julia Efimova with 41 votes and Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania with 36 votes. Isinbayeva won this title already in 2005 and 2008.
Bolt, Fraser-Pryce winners AIPS America Athletes of the Year Awards
The Jamaican sprinters Usain Bolt and Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce were elected Best Athletes of America in 2013 by AIPS America, the American continental arm of AIPS through the vote of their national associations.
Bolt wins the award for the second consecutive year, while Fraser-Pryce edged out North American tennis player Serena Williams in a second round of voting following a first round tie.
Other male athletes who received votes were the Mexican gymnast Daniel Corral, the Colombian soccer player Radamel Falcao Garcia and the Cuban judoka Ashley Gonzalez.
Among the women were Colombian jumper Catherine Ibarguen and the Ecuadorian weightlifter Alexandra Escobar.
BEST TEAM
The Dominican Republic's baseball team was voted best team of 2013 ahead of the football teams of Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador's champion team, Emelec.
BEST PRESS FACILITIES
The AIPS America 2013 award for the Best Press Center was the one of the Cali World Games in Colombia, ahead of the Olympic Basketball Qualifying tournament of the Americas in Caracas, Venezuela.
