UEPS votes Farah as European sportsman of 2013

From UEPS

Mo Farah has been voted as the European sportsman of 2013 by the members of UEPS, the European union of sports writers, of which the SJA is a member.

It is the first time that distance runner Farah, the Olympic and, in 2013, world champion at 5,000 and 10,000 metres, has won the Frank Taylor Trophy, named in honour of the leading light of the then Sports Writers’ Association and the former president of the worldwide sports journalism body, AIPS and UEPS.

Yelena Isinbayeva, the Russian who regained the pole vault world title in Moscow last August, was voted as the Sportswoman of the Year by UEPS.

It was the 31st annual poll conducted by UEPS.

Oregon-based Farah is the first Briton to win the men’s UEPS poll since Jonathan Edwards in 1995.

In a poll which has been dominated by tennis players and F1 drivers for more than a decade, Farah received a total of 58 votes ahead of Rafael Nadal with 49 votes and Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel with 44 votes.

Last month, the SJA announced Wimbledon champion Andy Murray as its 2013 Sportsman of the Year in a poll in which Farah finished second, ahead of Tour de France champion Chris Froome.

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UPCOMING SJA EVENTS

2014

Mon Mar 24: SJA British Sports Journalism Awards, Grand Connaught Rooms, London
Mon Apr 14: SJA Spring Golf Day: Croham Hurst GC, Surrey. Booking details to be announced