Track cyclist Harrie Lavreysen and athlete Sifan Hassan were elected Sportsman and Woman of the Year on Wednesday evening during the NOC*NSF Sports Gala. Lavreysen defeated the other nominees: cyclist Mathieu van der Poel, Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen and athlete Abdi Nageeye. Hassan won against rower Karolien Florijn, sailor Marit Bouwmeester, swimmer Sharon van Rouwendaal and athlete Femke Bol.
Lavreysen had a dream year. The track cyclist won three gold medals during the Olympic Games in Paris. By winning the team sprint, sprint and keirin, he became the most successful Dutch participant in the Summer Olympics ever. Lavreysen also won two gold and a bronze medal at the Tokyo Games.
For Hassan, who this year was the first Dutch woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the marathon, 2024 is also a special year. She also won two bronze medals in Paris. Hassan achieved third place in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. Never before has an athlete won a medal in the three longest athletics events during the Games. An achievement that made her the first Dutch World Athlete of the Year earlier this month.
Also read
Sifan Hassan’s Olympic odyssey ends with historic gold in the marathon. ‘This feels like 42 medals’
During the Sports Gala, top athletes could vote for individual athletes. Coaches could vote in the Sports Coach of the Year category. These votes counted for 50 percent. The vote of a professional jury counted for the other half.
More winners
The Sports Team of the Year award goes to the 3×3 basketball players who won gold in Paris. With the decisive throw in the last second of the final, Worthy de Jong won the match against host country France. His two-pointer made it 18-17, leading to a historic basketball gold medal. The team competed against the mixed relay team in 4×400 meters in athletics, and the team sprinters in track cycling. Both teams also took gold in Paris. Last year, the women’s relay team won the 4×400 Sports Team of the Year.
Eelco Meenhorst, rowing coach, was awarded the title Sports Coach of the Year on Wednesday. He thus extended his prize. He won it last year because of the golden World Cup summer in Belgrade. The other nominees were hockey national coach Jeroen Delmee and athletics trainer Laurent Meuwly.
Prizes were also awarded to the para athletes. The wheelchair basketball players won the title of Parasport Team of the Year for the second year in a row. The award for Parasportsman of the Year went to paratriathlete and hand biker Jetze Plat, who won gold three times at the Paralympic Games in Paris. Fleur Jong won among the women. The para-athlete won gold in the long jump with a jump of 6.53 meters.
Sports Talent of the Year is skater Angel Daleman. The 17-year-old made his breakthrough this year in long track and short track. The FBK Career Prize, for athletes with a memorable career, went to Ruud Gullit. After Johan Cruijff and Edwin van der Sar, he is the third footballer to win the lifetime achievement award.