Mo Farah and Isinbayeva winners of the AIPS Europe Athletes of the year 2013 AWARDS

Mo Farah reacts after finishing second in the Great North Run on September 15, 2013 in Gateshead, England. Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images

By Charles Camenzuli, AIPS Europe Secretary General

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 European Sportsmen  and Sportswomen of the year          MEN - Frank Taylor Trophy 2013 Mo Farah (Great Britain)                           athletics 2012 Novak Djokovic (Serbia)                           tennis 2011 Novak Djokovic (Serbia)                           tennis 2010 Sebastian Vettel (Germany)                       Formula 1 motor racing 2009 Roger Federer (Switzerland)                      tennis 2008 Rafael Nadal (Spain)                                  tennis 2007 Roger Federer (Switzerland)                      tennis 2006 Roger Federer (Switzerland)                      tennis 2005 Roger Federer (Switzerland)                      tennis 2004 Roger Federer (Switzerland)                      tennis 2003 Michael Schumacher (Germany)                Formula 1 motor racing 2002 Michael Schumacher (Germany)                Formula 1 motor racing 2001 Michael Schumacher (Germany)                Formula 1 motor racing 2000 Pieter van Hoogenband (Netherland)          swimming 1999 Tomas Dvorak (Czech Republic)                athletics 1998 Bjoern Daehlie (Norway)                            cross country skiing 1997 Wilson Kipketer (Denmark)                        athletics 1996 Alexander Popov (Russia)                           swimming 1995 Jonathan Edwards (Great Britain)                athletics 1994 Michael Schumacher (Germany)                 Formula 1 motor racing 1993 Linford Christie (Great Britain)                   athletics 1992 Vitaly Scherbo (CIS)                                    gymnastics 1991 Sergey Bubka (Soviet Union)                      athletics 1990 Lothar Matthaeus (Germany)                      football 1989 Boris Becker (Germany)                             tennis 1988 Sergey Bubka (Soviet Union)                     athletics 1987 Stephen Roche (Ireland)                             cycling 1986 Boris Becker (Germany)                            tennis 1985 Sergey Bubka (Soviet Union)                    athletics 1984 Michel Platini (France)                              football 1983 Michael Gross (Germany)                         swimming WOMEN - Evgen Bergant Trophy 2013 Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia)                athletics 2012 Jessica Ennis (Great Britain)              athletics 2011 Federica Pellegrini (Italy)                   swimming 2010 Blanka Vlasic (Croatia)                      athletics 2009 Blanka Vlasic (Croatia)                      athletics 2008 Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia)                 athletics 2007 Justine Henin (Belgium)                      tennis 2006 Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium)     tennis 2005 Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia)                  athletics 2004 Kelly Holmes (Great Britain)               athletics 2003 Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium)      tennis 2002 Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium)      tennis 2001 Svetlana Khorkina (Russia)                  gymnastics 2000 Inge de Bruijn (Netherland)                  swimming 1999 Gabriela Szabo (Romania)                    athletics 1998 Larissa Lazutina (Russia)                      cross-country skiing 1997 Martina Hingis (Switzerland)                tennis 1996 Svetlana Masterkova (Russia)               athletics 1995 Steffi Graf (Germany)                            tennis 1994 Manuela Di Centa (Italy)                       cross-country skiing 1993 Franziska van Almsick (Germany)        swimming 1992 Krisztina Egerszegi (Hungary)              swimming 1991 Monica Seles (Yugoslavia)                    tennis 1990 Katrin Krabbe (Germany)                     athletics 1989 Steffi Graf (Germany)                           tennis 1988 Kristin Otto (GDR)                               swimming 1987 Steffi Graf (Germany)                           tennis 1986 Heike Drechsler (GDR)                        athletics 1985 Marita Koch (GDR)                              athletics 1984 Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi (Finland)       cross-country skiing 1983 Jarmila Kratochvilova (Czechslov.)      athletics