Olympic stars among nominees for sports journalists' annual awards
Olympic champions Nafi Thiam, Remco Evenepoel and Maxime Carabin are among the athletes shortlisted for the Belgian sports journalists’ federation’s annual awards.
For the women’s title, the jury will choose between cyclist Lotte Kopecky and heptathletes Thiam and Noor Vidts, Sportspress announced on Tuesday. The men’s award will go to marathon runner Bashir Abdi, cyclist Evenepoel or rally driver Thierry Neuville.
The athletes shortlisted for the Paralympian of the Year title are wheelchair racers Carabin and Léa Bayekula and dressage rider Michèle George, who each won two gold medals at this summer's Paris Olympics.
Previous winners
The nominees include several athletes who have previously won the award. Last year, Evenepoel was chosen for the third time, while Kopecky, Carabin and the Belgian Cats basketball team all won their respective categories. The winners will be announced at the Sports Gala on 12 January at Brussels Airport.
Thiam became Olympic champion for the third time in the heptathlon this summer, with teammate Vidts securing bronze. Kopecky took Olympic bronze in the road race and also defended her World Championship title.
Evenepoel became double Olympic champion in the time trial and road race in Paris, while Abdi took silver in the marathon. Neuville won the World Rally Championships for the first time at the end of November.
The Belgian Cats, the Belgian Tornados men’s 400m relay team and the rally duo of Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe have been shortlisted for Team of the Year.
Jacques Borlée and Michaël Van der Plaetsen in athletics and Sven Vanthourenhout in cycling compete for the Coach of the Year trophy. The shortlist for most promising talent features swimmer Sarah Dumont, basketball player Ajay Mitchell and cyclist Jarno Widar.
The winners of the 2023 awards © BELGA PHOTO LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ
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