Marco Odermatt for a feat that eludes even Roger Federer

The traditional Sports Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday evening in Zurich. Marco Odermatt will be the favorite among the men, while the fight seems more uncertain on the women’s side, notably with the sisters Mujinga and Ditaji Kambundji.

Crowned last year for the second time after 2019, Mujinga Kambundji (31 years old) has represented one of the leading figures of Swiss athletics for several seasons. Her younger sister, ten years younger, continued her rise among the elite in 2023.

Both are among the six nominees for the title of sportswoman of the year. The Bernese women both obtained a medal at the European indoors, gold for Mujinga (60 m) and bronze for Ditaji (60 m hurdles).

Downhill world champion Jasmine Flury and slopestyle world champion Mathilde Gremaud are also finalists. The sextet is completed by the skier Lara Gut-Behrami, crowned seven years ago, and the cyclist Marlen Reusser, who notably won the Tour de Suisse this summer.

Odermatt for the pass of three

In the men’s category, two-time trophy holder Marco Odermatt will aim for three points. World champion in downhill and giant, the winner of the World Cup – with a new points record – has all the arguments to once again seduce the voters. A third consecutive success seems promised to him. Only Tony Rominger, Swiss Sportsman of the Year from 1992 to 1994, has already achieved the hat-trick. Even Roger Federer, titled seven times, did not have this honor.

Two athletes are among the six finalists. They are long jumper Simon Ehammer, who became the first Swiss to win a Diamond League competition, and Jason Joseph, the first Swiss sprinter to qualify for a world final (110 m hurdles).

The field of contenders is completed by the wrestler Samuel Giger, the freestyle ski specialist Andri Ragettli and by the veteran mountain biker Nino Schurter (37 years old), crowned in 2018 and who is among the nominees for the 14th time.

Four other awards

The awards will be awarded during a live broadcast from 8:05 p.m. on television, RTS Deux for French-speaking Switzerland. Four other awards are to be distributed. The one concerning the team of the year will be played between the European beach volleyball champions Nina Brunner/Tanja Hüberli, the Young Boys footballers who achieved the Cup-championship double and finally the Swiss tennis team victorious in the FedCup at the end of 2022.

The coach of the year will be chosen between Jan Cadieux (ice hockey/Genève-Servette), Claudine Müller (athletics/Jason Joseph) and Thomas Stauffer (alpine skiing/men’s coach). It will also be a question of deciding between Marcel Hug, Catherine Debrunner and Manuela Schär in the category of Paralympic athletes.

Finally, for the “MVP of the year”, six athletes were selected: Manuel Akanji (football), Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic (football), Nico Hischier (ice hockey), Laura Künzler (volleyball), Alina Müller (hockey on ice) and Nikola Portner (handball).

ATS