Marina Hatzikosta nominated for European Athletics Rising Star award

European Athletics has announced the nominees for the 2026 best athlete and Rising Star awards. Among the female Rising Star nominees is 17-year-old discus thrower Marina Hatzikosta, a European U18 champion and World U20 bronze medalist.

Other notable nominees include Greek athlete Eleni Iakovouki in the female Rising Star category and Miltiadis Tentoglou in the men's category.

The winners will be determined by a four-part voting process consisting of equal 25% weightings from the public, member federations, mass media, and a special European Athletics committee. Public voting is available via the official European Athletics website until September 28. The top three finalists in each category will be announced on October 1, with the final Golden Tracks awards ceremony scheduled for October 24 in Lausanne.