Three national young top athletes have the chance to win the Swiss Sports Aid award of CHF 12,000. This year, the following can be selected for “SRF 3 Best Talent Sport”: athlete Simon Ehammer, cross-country skier Siri Wigger and tennis player Dominic Stricker. The listeners of SRF 3 decide via online voting.
Radio SRF 3, in cooperation with Schweizer Sporthilfe and the “Sports Awards” electoral committee, has nominated three young sports talents who will compete for the title “SRF 3 Best Talent Sport” 2020. The nominated athletes in this category achieved outstanding performance in the junior and transition categories in the election period between November 1, 2019 and October 31, 2020. The SRF 3 listeners will choose a winner from the three finalists from December 7th to 11th, 2020 via online voting on srf3.ch.
Simon Ehammer, athlete
Swiss athletics has not seen an all-rounder of his format for a long time: At 1.84 m and 80 kg, Simon Ehammer has the best physical conditions for a modern decathlete. The 20-year-old Appenzeller has demonstrated the great potential in him several times over the past few months. With his best of 8,231 points, he was number 2 in the annual world best list in 2020; Beat Gähwiler’s Swiss record from 1988 was missed by the 2019 U20 European champion by just 13 points. Ehammer’s strengths lie in the sprint and jump disciplines, above all in the long jump. His set of 8.15 m at the end of June in Schaffhausen – the second-best distance ever by a Swiss man – would have been enough for an EM medal in 2018. The top-class sports recruit school, which began in October, enables him to lead a kind of professional life for the first time – with the aim of qualifying for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.
Siri Wigger, cross-country skier
Siri Wigger is considered a great talent in cross-country skiing. The 17-year-old from Zurich Oberland collected medals in abundance this year. At the beginning of January, she won two golds and one silver at the Youth Olympic Games in western Switzerland, making her the outstanding athlete in a strong Swiss delegation. A month later she was able to convince at the Junior World Championships in Oberwiesenthal, Germany, and left again as a three-time medalist. After bronze in the sprint and in the skating race, she led the relay to gold. The many successes in the cross-country ski run should not come as a surprise, given the familiar circumstances. Father Jeremias Wigger and mother Sylvia Honegger each took part in the Olympic Games three times between 1988 and 1998 as cross-country skiers. The high school student from the Engelberg sports school also wants to cause a sensation there one day.
Dominic Stricker, tennis player
Dominic Stricker is part of an aspiring Swiss tennis generation. With his victory at the Junior French Open in October, the 18-year-old from Bern has what it takes to make it to the top of the world one day. In the historic Swiss final on the Paris sand, he put his good friend Leandro Riedi in their place with an impressive offensive game. The left-hander followed in the footsteps of Stan Wawrinka, who was the last Swiss junior to triumph in Roland-Garros in 2003. By becoming the first player since Fernando Gonzalez to win singles and doubles in 1998, he even surpassed Wawrinka. In November, at the invitation of the ATP, Stricker was allowed to sniff the London Masters air. As one of three young talents, the current world number 1156 was invited as a sparring partner for Djokovic and Co. In the next year, Stricker wants to gain a foothold among the professionals.
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The “SRF 3 Best Talent Sport” will be announced for the first time as part of the live broadcast “Sports Awards” on Sunday, December 13, 2020 (8:05 p.m., SRF 1) and will also receive the sponsorship award of CHF 12,000 from Schweizer Sporthilfe.
Promotion of talent at Radio SRF 3
Radio SRF 3 has signed up since 2001 «SRF 3 Best Talent» emerging Swiss musicians (including Lo & Leduc, Hecht and Steff la Cheffe) and has been offering for three years «SRF 3 Comedy Talent» a platform for young stand-up comedians too. Radio SRF 3 took part last year «SRF 3 Best Talent Sport» further expanded its talent promotion. Alexander Blunschi, Co-Head of Radio SRF 3: “Music, comedy and sport are three pillars of the SRF 3 radio program. It is a matter close to our hearts, together with our listeners, to promote and support young Swiss talents in these areas and to give careers a boost. “
Further information on “SRF 3 Best Talent Sport” can be found at srf3.ch – all about the «Sports Awards» of December 13, 2020 at sports-awards.ch.
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