Obikwelu and Kluft Europe's top athletes of 2006

Portugal's Francis Obikwelu, the fastest European sprinter in history, has been named Europe's male athlete of the year for 2006.

The Olympic 100m silver medallist won the sprint double at the European Championships in Gothenburg last year, dipping under 10 seconds over the shorter distance.

World, Olympic and European heptathlon champion Carolina Kluft was voted Europe's female athlete of the year. The 23-year-old Swede also won the trophy in 2003.

Obikwelu, who holds the European 100m record of 9.86 seconds, won 16 elite 100m races in 2006 and six top class 200m.

"The award means the world to me and I am really honoured to have won it," Obikwelu said.

"I've had a really good season in 2006 and this just tops it off."

European discus champion Virgilijus Alekna of Lithuania was second with Norwegian javelin thrower Andreas Thorkildesn third in the European Athletics Associations poll, which was open to member federations, the media and the public.

Belgium sprinter Kim Gevaert, who won the 100 and 200 metres double at the European championships in Gothenburg last year, and world pole vault record holder Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia tied for second behind Kluft.