NOSThe Sportsman of the Year: Mathieu van der Poel
NOS Sport•vandaag, 20:14
Mathieu van der Poel and Femke Bol were named Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year at the NOC*NSF Sports Gala in Utrecht.
In the election battle, Van der Poel defeated Max Verstappen, who stood head and shoulders above the rest in Formula 1, and track cyclist Harrie Lavreysen. Bol was preferred over Sifan Hassan, who won two marathons this season, and rower Karolien Florijn, who dominated in the single sculls this year.
For Van der Poel it was the second time in his career that he won the election. He also became Sportsman of the Year in 2019. It was the first time for Bol to receive a Jaap Eden trophy.
Heroic world title Van der Poel
Van der Poel, who was named Sports Talent of the Year in 2013, heroically won the world title on the road this year. The 28-year-old all-rounder on the bike crashed on the wet road surface of Glasgow just before the finish, while riding solo in the lead. The world title seemed to slip out of his hands, but he quickly got back up and still grabbed the gold.
Sports gala at the NOS
The prizes were handed out earlier tonight during a live show by sports association NOC*NSF in DeFabrique in Utrecht.
A report of the sports festival can be seen tonight from 9:23 PM on NOS on NPO 1, NOS.nl and in the NOS app.
In addition, Van der Poel also won the world title at the Cyclo-Cross World Championships earlier in the year, after a thrilling battle with his eternal rival Wout van Aert.
Van der Poel had stiff competition in the battle for the title of Sportsman of the Year. Verstappen, the winner of the past two editions, ruled Formula 1 again this year. He won no fewer than 19 of the 22 grands prix and became world champion by force majeure. It was his third world title, but he missed out on the third Jaap Eden trophy in a row on Wednesday evening.
Laros wins Talent of the Year award
Athlete Niels Laros has been named Talent of the Year. The 18-year-old middle distance runner improved the Dutch record for the 1,500 meters this year and finished tenth at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest for that distance. Laros also won gold twice at the European Championships under 20 (1,500 and 5,000 meters).
Laros is the successor to judoka Joanne van Lieshout, who won the prize last year.
The 23-year-old Bol ran a memorable World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August. It started with a fall just before the finish of the 4×400 meter mixed relay, which dramatically missed out on winning gold for the Dutch team.
NOSThe Sportswoman of the Year: Femke Bol
But the World Cup ended with a big smile for the 23-year-old from Amersfoort. After she had conquered the world title in the 400 meter hurdles with superior force, the party in the Bol house was only really complete with the gold in the 4×400 meter relay with the women’s team.
Top athletes vote
Top athletes could cast their votes in the athlete categories of the election. Coaches cast their votes in the Sports Coach of the Year category. Their vote counted for fifty percent. The votes of the professional jury members, who were allowed to vote in all categories, determined the remaining fifty percent.
Watch below how the election of Femke Bol and Mathieu van der Poel was announced:
Bol and Van der Poel named Sportswoman and Sportsman of 2023
2023-12-20 19:14:22
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