Schippers, Rutherford crowned Europe’s best athletes for 2015

The Flying Dutchwoman addresses the gathering after receiving the prize

The latest sensation on the IAAF circuit, Netherland’s Dafne Schippers was named European athlete of the year for the second year in a row. The 23-year-old from Utrecht who recently won the 200m title at the World Championships in Beijing, received the award in Lausanne, during the gala organised by the European Athletics Federation.

Last year too Schippers was named best athlete of the continent. This year’s accolade thus made her the first woman to win the award twice in succession.

Accepting the award from Svein Arne Hansen, president of the European Athletics Federation. Commenting Utrecht described 2015 as "a very special year."

"The European title in a European record. Silver at the World Championships, gold at the World Cup, I still can not believe it. I've always said that anything is possible and this year I see that everything is truly possible."

Maintaining it was a team effort, she added, “All credit goes to my team; my coaches, my trainers, everyone. I wouldn't be here without them.”

As aforementioned, during the world championship, the ‘flying dutchwoman’ won 200m title with a Dutch record (21.63). This equaled her personal record. In the 100m too, she ran an extraordinary race and took the silver behind Jamaican legend Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce in 10.81s - also a Dutch record.

Other nominees for the award were the British heptathlon star Jessica Ennis-Hill and the Polish hammer thrower Anita Wlodarczyk star.

Rutherford and Schippers with IAAF President Sebastien Coe

Among men, British long jump world champion Greg Rutherford was bestowed with the honour. Lost in abject oblivion after winning a remarkable final at the London Olympics, he was not tipped to win the gold in Beijing earlier this year, but he did pull it off and that too in spectacular fashion. With other frontrunners like Mo Farah and other world champions from Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe, his win did surprise a few, but as many from the British media mentioned after the gala, “for all the theatrics, he did deserve this at least.”