BUDAPEST, Hungary, September 25. THE great success of the European swimmers at this year's FINA World Championships in Rome is also expressed in the result of the Continental election for "Athletes of the Year" held annually by "LEN Magazine" on behalf of the European Swimming Federation (LEN).
In seven of nine categories in all five aquatic disciplines, World Champions in Rome are at the top. Representatives of all European Aquatic Federations and the media voted for the competitors who have produced the most outstanding results in swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, open water swimming, as well as water polo in the year 2009.
In swimming and open water swimming German World Champion athletes are the award winners: Britta Steffen (50m and 100m freestyle); Paul Biedermann (200m and 400m freestyle), Angela Maurer (25km) and Thomas Lurz (5km and 10km).
In diving, the British "wonder boy" Thomas Daley (10m platform) and Italy's double-medalist Tania Cagnotto (3m bronze, and 3m synchro silver) will receive the LEN Award.
In synchronized swimming the quadruple Russian World Champion Natalia Ishchenko (solo technical, solo free, duet free and team free) has been elected, as well as Filip Filipovic in water polo who won the gold medal in Rome with the team of Serbia and Dutchwoman Iefke van Belkum, the 2008 Olympic Champion with the team of the Netherlands that finished fifth in Rome.
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