Team GB gymnast Amy Tinkler continued her special 2016 by coming second in the recent award nominations for the European Olympic Committee Piotr Nurowski prize for Best Young European Athlete.
Tinkler has enjoyed an incredible 2016, firstly retaining her floor title by claiming gold for the second year in a row at the British Championships. Then Amy was named the youngest member of Team GB for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. There she produced a stunning floor routine to claim bronze, to become the first British gymnast to medal in the event.
The prize was created in 2010 to remember Nurowski but also to encourage young athletes to pursue a career in elite sport and inspire future generations to adopt a healthy lifestyle based on Olympic values and principles.
When choosing the ultimate winner, some of the key attributes that are taken into consideration are:
- Performance achieved by the young athlete during the EYOF and/or Olympic Games
- The athlete’s performance in national, regional and/or world championships
- The athlete’s particularly valuable behaviour, action and/or conduct in the fields of fair play, Olympic culture and values, friendship etc
Speaking after the announcement was made Tinkler said: "I feel very honoured to have been nominated for the award and to be voted the second best European Athlete is very special.
“This year has been a whirlwind and medalling in Rio was something I just dreamed of, to have accomplished that dream and to be recognised for my achievements has really inspired me to keep training hard and be in the team in Tokyo in four years’ time.”
The Piotr Nurowski prize was won by Greek pole vaulter Emmanouil Karalis.