Track cyclist Harrie Lavreysen from Luyksgestel and Mathieu van der Poel from Hoogerheide were nominated as Athlete of the Year on Sunday evening. Open water swimmer Sharon van Rouwendaal from Gemert has also been nominated for the women. Jeroen Delmée from Boxtel, national coach of the Dutch hockey men, has a chance to win the title of Sports Coach of the Year. Brabant is also well represented among para athletes with nominations in all categories.
The winners will be announced on Wednesday, December 18 during the NOC*NSF Sports Gala at Papendal.
Mathieu van der Poel (29)
Van der Poel already has two titles for Sportsman of the Year. Last year he won it for the second time. This year he won the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix on the bike. In October he became world champion in gravel riding and the all-rounder on the bike was also named Dutch Cyclist of the Year.
Harrie Lavreysen (27)
Lavreysen has also had a very successful year. The 27-year-old track cyclist completed his Olympic hat-trick in Paris by winning gold in the sprint, keirin and team sprint. During the Track Cycling World Championships in October, the powerhouse from Luyksgestel again won three titles. Lavreysen has been nominated as Sports Team of the Year with the track sprinters Roy van den Berg and Jeffrey Hoogland.
The two Brabant cyclists will face competition from Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen in the battle for Sportsman of the Year. He won his fourth world title this year. But Abdi Nageeye is also a competitor. He was the first Dutchman ever to win the New York Marathon. He also won the Rotterdam marathon.
Sharon van Rouwendaal (31)
Open water swimmer Van Rouwendaal won her second gold Olympic medal in the Seine in Paris. She was already the reigning world champion in this event. Van Rouwendaal dedicated her Olympic title to her deceased dog Rio. When she got out of the water, she immediately pointed emotionally to the tattoo of her dog on her right wrist.
In addition to Van Rouwendaal, rower Karolien Florijn, sailor Marit Bouwmeester and athletes Femke Bol and Siffan Hassan have also been nominated. Hassan once ran for Eindhoven Athletics. This year she won gold in the Olympic marathon and also bronze in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters on the athletics track in Paris. She is the first woman ever to combine this.
Cathelijn Peeters (28)
Athlete Cathelijn Peeters won two medals during the Olympic Games in Paris. With the women’s relay team she won a silver medal in 4×400 meters. And with the mixed relay team, the Dongen athlete even managed to win a gold medal. With the latter team she has been nominated as Sports Team of the Year and she has the track cyclists with Harrie Lavreysen and the 3×3 basketball players as competition for that title.
Jeroen Delmée (51)
The hockey women and hockey men, both teams are Olympic champions, have not been nominated as Sports Team of the Year. But Jeroen Delmée from Boxtel, national coach of the men, has a chance to win the title of Sports Coach of the Year. He has competition from rowing national coach Eelco Meenhorst and Laurent Meuwly, athletics coach of the successful relay teams.
Kelly van Zon (37)
Table tennis player Kelly van Zon from Dongen was already a celebrity in Dutch top sport. After her fourth gold medal in a row at the Paralympic Games, she tied the score with wheelchair tennis icon Esther Vergeer this summer. That is why she has been nominated as Para Sportswoman of the Year
Niels Vink (22)
Helmet leader Niels Vink won two gold medals during the Paralympic Games in Paris this summer. He did that in wheelchair tennis. He first extended the title in doubles and a day later his dream came true. He also became the best in singles. He is the only one nominated in two categories: Parasportsman and Parasport Team of the Year.
Sylvana van Hees (31)
Sylvana van Hees became Paralympic champion in Paris this summer with the wheelchair basketball women. The Dutch wheelchair basketball players were the defending champions in the French capital. Van Hees was also part of the championship team at the time. Just like Niels Vink, she has been nominated in the Para Sports Team of the Year category.