Gianmarco Tamberi named European athlete of the year; Audrey Werro wins women's award

A first for Italy

Gianmarco Tamberi was named European Athlete of the Year at the Golden Tracks ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Saturday, 24 October. It is the first time an Italian has won the men's prize from European Athletics, the governing body of the sport on the continent. He finished ahead of pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, the Swedish world record holder, and Greek long jumper Miltiadis Tentoglou, a two-time Olympic champion. The 34-year-old high jumper had won the European title in Birmingham earlier this year. At the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest he jumped 2.37 metres, the best world mark of the season.

Tamberi on his season

Tamberi tied his Birmingham gold to a personal moment, winning it on the day his daughter turned one. He also credited the five gold medals from the Tokyo Olympics with changing how the team thinks about what is possible.

Winning the European gold on my daughter's first birthday was crazy.

Looking at the wider team, he said young athletes were now producing results and that Italian athletics could still grow.

I genuinely believe our team can still grow, because the young athletes are even stronger than us: Los Angeles will tell us.

Federation praise

Stefano Mei, president of the Italian athletics federation Fidal, said the award was deserved. He pointed to Tamberi turning around a season that had started badly into a run of top results in Birmingham and Budapest. Mei said Tamberi's determination continues to inspire thousands of young people.

It is a well-deserved recognition for an athlete who never stops surprising us.

Mei described the comeback as something only the very greatest champions manage, and said he was sure Tamberi would still be a protagonist.

Werro and the women's prize

Audrey Werro, a 22-year-old 800 metres runner from Switzerland, won the women's award and became the first Swiss woman to receive it. The prize has been handed out since 1993. She was European champion in Birmingham, won all six of her Diamond League races and took the inaugural Ultimate Championship in Budapest. She stayed unbeaten throughout the outdoor season. At Weltklasse Zurich in late August she lowered the Swiss record to 1:53.70, the third-fastest time ever by a woman over 800 metres. She finished ahead of Italian distance runner Nadia Battocletti and British sprinter Amy Hunt in the vote. European Athletics had named her Rising Star the year before. The World Athletics Awards on 29 November in Monaco nominate her for Moment of the Year, and she is also in contention for World Athlete of the Year.

Tentoglou's season

Tentoglou also had a strong 2026, with 15 wins and 20 podium finishes in 21 competitions. He set a new Greek national record of 8.66 metres. On 12 September he won gold at the first World Athletics Ultimate Championships with a jump of 8.35 metres, and he also won the European title in Birmingham. That result extended his unbeaten run in European competitions, which dates back to 2018.