Athletics: Thorkildsen best European male athlete

BRUSSELS, Belgium – Olympic javelin champion Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway has been voted male European athlete of the year. In a poll organized by the European Athletics Association and voted on by the public and media, the Norwegian won the award Thursday ahead of Olympic triple jump champion Nelson Evora of Portugal and high jump gold medalist Andrey Silnov of Russia. Thorkildsen succeeds another javelin thrower, Finland's Tero Pitkamaki. Olympic pole vault champion and world record-holder Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia was voted European female athlete of the year Wednesday. – AP