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The professional tennis player, born in Wiener Neustadt in 1993, can look back on a very successful tennis year: he won the US Open, landed in the Australian Open final, in the French Open quarter-finals and is third in the standings world. “I congratulate all the nominees, because the others also deserved it. I am delighted to receive the award for the first time this year and to be in line with the best Austrian athletes, “Thiem said at the gala on Tuesday evening.
He is following in the footsteps of Thomas Muster, who was the first tennis player to reach the top of the athlete of the year list – twice, in 1990 and 1995. For Thiem it is after three second places (2016, 2018 and 2019) and two third places (2017 and 2015) the first complete success. From a Lower Austrian point of view, Thiem follows Jürgen Melzer, who last won the men’s competition in 2010.
Photo gallery with 4 images
Dadic: “Extra portion of motivation for next year”
Ivona Dadic prevailed among the women against Tyrolean speed skater Vanessa Herzog, who won the title in 2019. “That I can finish the season with this award is an extra part of motivation for next year,” Dadic said. “So I want to win a medal in the Olympics at best.” Not only did Dadic win that at the end of August at Götzis State Championship Title in the heptathlon, but he set an annual world record with 6,419 points. The Union St. Pölten athlete clearly surpassed the previous record of 6,386.
After Stephanie Graf (2000 and 2001), Theresia Kiesl (1996), Ilona Gusenbauer (1971) and Liese Prokop (1969), she is the fifth athlete to win the title with the “Sportsman of the Year” award. The last female winner from Lower Austria was Michaela Dorfmeister in 2006. The last time both Athlete and Athlete of the Year came from Lower Austria was in 2003. At that time, Werner Schlager and Michaela Dorfmeister were able to decide the double win for Lower Austria for men and women.
Victory for Veronika Aigner and “Daheimkicker”
Veronika Aigner (alpine skiing) with the guide and her sister Elisabeth Aigner from Gloggnitz (Neunkirchen district) won the category “Sportsman with a disability” It was not expected that today she would actually be on this stage, “said the 17-year-old.
The victory in the category “athletes with heart” went to the “local footballers”. It is a soccer inclusion project. Tulln-born former soccer player Nina Burger helps as a coach and accepted the award Tuesday night.
Record holders from Moser-Pröll, Lösch and Hirscher
In 2020, the choice of athletes of the year took place for the 72nd time. In the lead up to the election, there were lively discussions about whether a vote for athlete of the year makes sense in the circumstances related to the coronavirus. Finally, 537 members of Sports Media Austria chose the best athletes in seven categories using an online tool.
The record winners with seven awards are Annemarie Moser-Pröll as Athlete of the Year (1973-1975 and 1977 to 1980) and Claudia Lösch as Athlete of the Year with Disabilities (2010, 2011, 2013-2015, 2017, 2018). Marcel Hirscher is the male record holder with six athlete of the year trophies. He is also the first athlete to receive the award five times in a row (2015-2019).
