Harrie Lavreysen once again won the title of Sportsman of the Year on Wednesday evening. This puts the track cyclist from Luyksgestel in a nice list. A list with a considerable Brabant share. A selection of previous winners who laid the foundation for their success in our province.
First of all, the men who preceded Harrie. In recent years, the award has gone twice to that other cycling phenomenon: Mathieu van der Poel (2019 and 2023). By the way, it had been a while since a Brabander received the prize. In 2008, that honor went to swimmer Maarten van der Weijden, who won gold at the Olympic Games in Beijing earlier that year.
Other male prize winners from our province this century were gymnast Yuri van Gelder (2005) and Pieter van den Hoogenband. In fact, the latter even won it three times. In 1999, 2000 and 2004. Only Anton Geesink, Ard Schenk and Epke Zonderland were named the best male athlete in our country more often.
If we go back a little further in history, we find three more Brabanders on the list: skater Gianni Romme (1998), swimmer Marcel Wouda (1997) and athlete Eef Kamerbeek (1960).
The women’s prize was also often taken back to the south. Although it has been a while since the last time: Ireen Wüst was allowed on stage in 2014. Not a first by the way, because she also won eight years earlier, after her surprising golden debut as a youngster at the Games in Turin.
And there were more Brabant athletes who have several awards under their belts. For example, Ranomi Kromowidjojo won twice (2011 and 2012) and Marianne Vos even won three times (2008, 2009 and 2013). Yet they are still far from being able to match Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel. The ‘Joekel van Boekel’ was voted the very best in our country no fewer than six times. This makes her – together with figure skater Sjoukje Dijkstra – the absolute record holder.
We are not there yet, by the way. For example, ‘we’ previously won with judoka Angelique Seriese (1995), dressage legend Anky van Grunsven (1994), judoka Irene de Kok (1987), swimmer Annemarie Verstappen (1982) and gymnast Ans van Gerwen (1972).
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This year the prize went to glutton Harrie Lavreysen
This article has been updated from a previous publication in December 2024.