Swiss skier Odermatt breaks Federer’s Swiss Sports Awards record

Marco Odermatt receives his award Keystone / Ennio Leanza

Swiss skier Marco Odermatt has broken Roger Federer’s record of straight wins as Swiss Sportsman of the Year by winning the title for the fourth year in a row.

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Fellow skier Lara Gut-Behrami scooped a third Sportswoman of the Year title as Alpine skiing dominated the Swiss Sports Awards ceremony hosted by Swiss public broadcaster SRF.

Odermatt’s fourth title in a row was a record unmatched by tennis star Roger Federer. However, Odermatt has not yet equalled the total of seven awards won by the tennis maestro. This was of secondary importance to the 27-year-old from Nidwalden, who relegated swimmer Noè Ponti and track and field athlete Simon Ehammer to second and third place.

The 2024 season was Odermatt’s most title-rich to date: he once again took the big globe for the overall World Cup and won the small globes in the giant slalom, super-G and, for the first time, the downhill. His triumphs included the Lauberhorn in Wengen, where he also won the race on the original course after the sprint downhill.

“It’s hardly possible to repeat a season like this,” said Odermatt, who is still setting himself high goals, such as triumphing in the Kitzbühel downhill for the first time.

Gut-Behrami World Cup winner

Like Odermatt, Lara Gut-Behrami also won the overall World Cup – her second after 2016. With 16 podium places, including eight victories in three disciplines, the Ticino native even enjoyed the most successful winter of her career.

“It was an incredible year for me and it was especially nice to be able to experience it again with my family,” said the 33-year-old, who addressed Swiss sports fans via video after the World Cup race in Kranjska Gora on Saturday and also spoke about the difficult aspects of the sport.

“After last season, I was completely empty and asked myself what I was actually doing all this for.” The start to the new season was correspondingly difficult, although she has since found the fun in sport again.

Gut-Behrami left pole vaulter Angelica Moser and shooter Chiara Leone, among others, behind in her category. With her third Sportswoman of the Year award after 2016 and 2023, she caught up with Lise-Marie Morerod, Simone Niggli and Ariella Kaeslin. Only Vreni Schneider was more successful with five titles.

Pioneer para-athlete Heinz Frei

It was a special evening for para-athlete Heinz Frei. The 66-year-old received the award of honour for his achievements and his work as a pioneer, which was only awarded for the seventh time since 2001.

Previous winners include Roger Federer (2022), Adolf Ogi (2007) and Peter Sauber (2005). Frei, who has won 27 Paralympic medals in a career spanning over 40 years and competed in his last Para-Cycling World Championships in 2024, was “completely surprised and overwhelmed” by the unannounced honour.

Catherine Debrunner was also delighted to receive the Paralympic Sportswoman of the Year award. The 29-year-old from Thurgau earned the trophy thanks to outstanding performances at the Paralympics in Paris with five gold medals and four Paralympic records.

Further awards

Tanja Hüberli and Nina Brunner’s Team of the Year award was also emotional. For the beach volleyball players, it was “the culmination of a wonderful time together”.

After nine years, which culminated in winning Olympic bronze in the summer, the women are going their separate ways for the time being. Hüberli has found a new team-mate in 19-year-old Leona Kernen, while Brunner is taking a (baby) break for the time being.

The men’s national teams in ice hockey and football, who lost out to Hüberli/Brunner, were able to celebrate in other categories. Patrick Fischer won Coach of the Year, as he did when he last won ice hockey World Cup silver in 2018. Meanwhile, footballer Granit Xhaka was honoured as MVP for a strong European Championship and for his outstanding performances at club level.

A track and field athlete from Aargau was voted the most talented. The title went to 18-year-old heptathlete Lucia Acklin.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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