Britain's Emma Pallant, who won the under-23 race in Velenje after making a decisive move with one kilometre remaining, finished second in the women's poll with third place going to Portugal's Ana Dulce Felix, who finished second behind Britton in the senior women's race in Velenje and followed it up by winning the traditional Sao Silvestre de Lisboa over 10km on December 31.

In the men's poll, the Frenchman Florian Carvalho, who won the under-23 gold in Velenje in dominating style, was voted second.

Russian pole vaulter Dmitriy Starodubtsev, who showed outstanding early form indoors when he cleared 5.90 metres in Chelyabinsk on 29 December to go equal ninth on the European indoor all-time list, finished third.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]