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Athlete Malaika Mihambo, national ice hockey striker Leon Draisaitl and FC Bayern Munich footballers are the athletes of the year 2020.
This is the result of an online vote of 960 sports journalists, which was announced on Sunday evening (December 20, 2020) at the award ceremony in Baden-Baden. With only very few guests and no audience, ZDF presenters Katrin Müller-Hohenstein and Rudi Cerne presented the award at the end of a sporting year with numerous cancellations of important events.
Mihambo – a woman of many abilities
Long jumper Malaika Mihambo received the award for the second time in a row. Second place went to golfer Sophia Popov (781), who was the first German to win a major tournament at the British Open. Third place went to three-time track cycling world champion Emma Hinze (746).
The 26-year-old from Heidelberg was back in top form this year, for example at the annual world record of 7.03 meters from a shortened run. Mihambo has always gone his own way. They took her backpacking to India and Thailand to study political and environmental science and acquire considerable piano skills.
And indeed, this path should have led her to her new coach Carl Lewis and to Olympic gold. The big Olympic favorite has to be patient for (at least) a few more months, training with nine-time Olympic champion Lewis has so far been a victim of the crown pandemic.
Draisaitl: First Ice Hockey Player as Athlete of the Year
The NHL’s top scorer, Leon Draisaitl, was named Sportsman of the Year as the first ice hockey player in the 74th edition of the prestigious election. He won by a clear margin (1768 points) ahead of the javelin thrower Johannes Vetter (649 points), who approached the world record with 97.76 meters. In third place was the triathlete Jan Frodeno (517). Draisaitl succeeds athlete Niklas Kaul. Draisaitl more than deserved the award, the NHL professional was the best among the best ice hockey players in the world.
But it is far from being as well known in North America as it is in this country. “I run a little bit under the radar here, which is really nice for me sometimes,” says the Cologne native. This is no longer possible in his sports home, where he is one of the superstars.
There was no way to get around Bavaria
The triple winners of FC Bayern Munich with coach Hansi Flick became the successors to the men’s ski jumping team. There was no way to avoid it. With 1,763 points, Bayern footballers won the award for the first time since 2013, when they had also achieved the triple of the German championship, the DFB Cup victory and the Champions League title.
Tennis doubles Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies were second after their second consecutive hit at the French Open (1,126) ahead of the bobsleigh team surrounding Francesco Friedrich (839).
Sports legends of the decade
Former basketball player Dirk Nowitzki was named sports legends of the decade, including Olympic beach volleyball champions Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst and Olympic biathlon champion Magdalena Neuner. In this online voting, fans and athletes had voted.
Those: sportschau.de
