Sporthilfe: Athletes of the Year Anna Jacir and David Alaba

David Alaba has not yet been allowed to lift the trophy after appearing for Real Madrid against Shakhtar Donzek in the Champions League group stage yesterday. On the flight home, a very special flight awaited the ÖFB captain, as Alaba assembled his three-piece set at Wiener Stadthalle in his absence. After 2013 and 2014, the 30-year-old was named Austrian Athlete of the Year “Nikki” for the third time – in the most powerful election ever. With 607 points, the lead over second-placed Matthias Mayer was only two, and Johannes Strolls had only 12.

Thus, round skin prevailed among men against plates, which often meant the world, especially in Austria. Dominic Thiem recently succeeded in 2020. With Mayer and Strolz, who were named climber of the year, these two guys showed themselves to be good losers and clapped hard at the announcement. For the duo, the upcoming World Cup year holds a great opportunity for “revenge”.

After a two-year break (Anna Kiesenhofer 2021, Ivona Dadic 2020), Anna Gasser resisted women’s winter sports, thus also making a small “second match”. Carinthian also accomplished the same feat as her fellow winner: for the third time the Olympic champion took the title of Nikki in 2022, with an impressive 1,084 points. Behind them were ice skater Sarah Marietta Kramer (470) and table tennis player Sofia Bolkanova (401).

By the way, the record winners are still Annemarie Moser Proell (alpine skiing) and Claudia Loesch (snowboarding) with seven titles, ahead of former ski star Marcel Hirscher with six and the snowboarding team with the same number of titles.

Jasper was just in time

Jacir was almost reported via video message when her plane landed in Vienna just in time for the celebration. Of course, “Snowqueen” had her partner Clemence Mellor with her. “We’ve been training in Australia and New Zealand, for the first time since a three-year break for Covid, Clemens and I have been able to come back,” said Athlete of the Year three times. “Taking Nikki here is always a dream,” smiled Carinthian, who reached into her bag of tricks for her outfit. “I borrowed the skirt from a good friend.”

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