Gut-Behrami and Odermatt take centre stage at Swiss Sports Awards

The best remain the best at the Sports Awards: Lara Gut-Behrami and Marco Odermatt, the 2023 winners in both the women’s and men’s categories, defended their titles.

Ticino native Gut-Behrami won for the third time after 2016 and 2023 and earned her victory with her triumph in the overall World Cup, securing along the way the small globes in the giant slalom and super-G. Gut-Behrami came out on top with 32.2% against pole vaulter Angelica Moser (18%) and shooter Chiara Leone (15.2%). “Many thanks to my family. They were always there for me – even when things weren’t going so well,” she said.

Marco Odermatt was honoured as Sportsman of the Year for the fourth time. Since 2021, there has been no way around the man from Nidwalden, who was hard to beat last winter: 13 race wins, the overall World Cup and first place in the discipline rankings in the downhill, super-G and giant slalom. He also set a new record with a lead of 874 points over second place.

Odermatt, who set a new record with his fourth title in a row, was delighted afterwards with the “many wonderful emotions. My award shows how important skiing is in Switzerland, which makes me very happy. I am very grateful – these awards that I have won are not to be taken for granted.” Odermatt clearly came out on top in the final vote with 44.5% of all votes, ahead of swimmer Noè Ponti (25.4%) and athlete Simon Ehammer (8.7%).

Tanja Hüberli and Nina Brunner could hardly have imagined a better ending. The beach volleyball duo crowned their nine-year journey, which had not been without obstacles, with bronze at the 2024 Olympic Games. After the Games the two friends decided to part ways. “The fact that we are here shows that it was worth believing in ourselves and our path,” said a delighted Brunner. Hüberli dedicated the award to everyone who had helped them. Hüberli will continue with a new partner, while Brunner is expecting her first child.

The 2024 Paralympics were all about Catherine Debrunner. With five gold medals and one silver, the wheelchair athlete from Thurgau was the dominant athlete in Paris, unbeatable over 400, 800, 1500, 5000 metres and in the marathon. Her reward: the top award in the “Paralympic athlete” category. Debrunner was delighted: “I can’t really put it into words that I’m up here. This award is the icing on the cake of an incredible 2024 season.” Debrunner retained the upper hand over nine-time title winner Marcel Hug and Flurina Rigling.

Heinz Frei was awarded the prize of honour for his career. Between 1984 and 2024, the 66-year-old won 27 medals at the Summer Paralympics and eight at the Winter Paralympics and was named Swiss Para Athlete of the Year ten times. With his successes, Frei also worked to raise awareness of para athletics among a wider public. He ended his career at the World Para-Cycling Championships in Zurich in September 2024. “I wasn’t expecting this prize. You have to watch my heart a little when it comes to surprises like this,” he said.

German champion, DFB Cup winner and Europa League finalist with Bayer Leverkusen, plus reaching the quarter-finals of the European Championship with the Swiss national team – 2024 was Granit Xhaka’s big year. The Swiss national team captain was honoured with 16th place in the world footballer poll – and now with the MVP award at the Swiss Sports Awards. Xhaka came out on top of six candidates in the online vote with 38.9% ahead of NHL star Kevin Fiala (24%) and floorball goalie Lara Heini (12.4%). “There’s a lot of work and hunger behind an award like this – but it wouldn’t be possible without the support of my team-mates and the staff,” Xhaka said in a video broadcast.

As coach of the Swiss national ice hockey team, Patrick Fischer won World Championship silver in the Czech Republic – his second World Championship medal as a coach after 2018. Because Fischer believes in his team even in weaker phases, he also deserves credit for this. “In life, it’s all a question of timing: a year ago, I would probably have received the award for worst coach,” joked the winner before thanking his staff and the players.

In the “SRF 3 Best Talent Sport” category, heptathlete Lucia Acklin secured the trophy ahead of Malorie Blanc (ski racer) and beach volleyball player Leona Kernen. After a difficult season in which even the continuation of her career had been called into question, Acklin was suitably delighted: “I really can’t explain how this could have happened,” she said.

Translated from German with DeepL/amva/ts