Our gold heroes

Olympians Vadlau/Mähr are the team of the year!

Lara Vadlau/Lukas Mähr

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Lara Vadlau/Lukas Mähr are Austria's Team of the Year 2024! After seven successes in a row for soccer, the trophy has now gone to sailing. The duo won Olympic gold in the 470 class off Marseille in August ...

In the voting for the NIKI carried out by the sports journalists' association Sports Media Austria (SMA), the duo came out on top with 1093 points, well ahead of the ÖFB team (521) and Austrian soccer champions Sturm Graz (484).

"We are very pleased and honored. There's nothing better than being here now," said Vadlau, for whom this was the second time she had won an award at the Sportsperson's Choice Awards. She also won the team prize in 2014 together with Jolanta Ogar. In 2016, Rio bronze medallists Thomas Zajac/Tanja Frank (Nacra 17) were honoured. Since 2014, the Team of the Year title has always gone to soccer or sailing.

Dream of an Olympic medal almost given up
Strange but true: Vadlau and Mähr had almost given up on their dream of winning an Olympic medal. The Carinthian had ended her sailing career after a disappointment at the 2016 Games in Rio and the end was in sight for the Vorarlberger after missing out twice. However, the new mixed line-up in the 470 class then reshuffled the cards. Vadlau brought her co-skipper on board in 2021, and together the duo sailed to gold off Marseille and have now won the Team of the Year award.

Lara Vadlau/Lukas Mähr

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

The pair were already familiar with the 470 boat when they started their joint Olympic campaign. Vadlau, who is blessed with a lot of talent and perhaps even more ambition, had once entered the women's competition as the favorite with Jolanta Ogar, who was naturalized before the Rio Games, but only finished ninth at the most important regatta of all. The duo had earned their role as favorites in the four previous world championships with two gold medals and one silver and bronze each, while coxswain Vadlau and Ogar, who is twelve years older, also won two European Championship titles. After Rio, however, it was time to call it a day.

Vadlau graduates as a plastic surgeon
Vadlau turned her attention to other things and took a break from sailing. She followed in her mother's footsteps and began studying medicine at the Sigmund Freud Private University in Vienna, only watching the Tokyo Olympics on TV. Vadlau did not take long to graduate as a plastic surgeon. Her love of sailing was rekindled during her studies, and the changeover to the 470 did the rest. She still had a score to settle with the Olympics, Vadlau said at the time. Foreskipper Mähr was already on board.

The Vorarlberg native, who finished third in the 2017 World Championships with David Bargehr, saw his chance to fulfill a dream with Vadlau. The former Junior World Championship runners-up had had no luck at Olympic level: for 2012 and 2016, others received the 470 quota place they had won, but they missed out on qualification for 2021. With Vadlau, the timing was better. Mähr, who lives with his wife and two children in Gutenstein in Lower Austria, sacrificed a lot in his private life to further his sailing career.

"Always had the knife halfway down my throat!"
Nevertheless, Vadlau/Mähr did not travel to this year's games as favorites. After three World and European Championships, fourth place at the 2023 World Championships in The Hague was the highest of feelings. The Olympic regatta got off to the worst possible start in the area off Marseille: the Austrians were disqualified in the first race. "We always had the knife halfway down our throats. It wasn't pleasant," said Vadlau looking back. What followed were trips to triumph. At least Mähr wasn't able to savor it at first. "You realize you're an Olympic champion. It's hard on the stomach at first," he said with the newly won gold around his neck.

Lara Vadlau/Lukas Mähr with Sports Minister Werner Kogler and Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer

(Bild: APA/EVA MANHART)

The fact that the relationship between the two boat partners was not always friction-free was obviously not a disadvantage either. "Lara managed to get Luki, who also has a strong opinion, on board. The team structure Lara - Luki works very well," explained OeSV director Matthias Schmid. The duo may not be best friends in private. "But they really dig in on the boat. They give their all every second - they have respect for each other, but there is also friction. That's how they've worked their way forward."

Constantin Möstl is "Rising Star of the Year"
 The Paralympic medal winners Natalija Eder (javelin bronze) and Thomas Frühwirth (two handbike silver medals) were also honored at the gala in the disabled sports category. In the Special Olympics category, the prizes went to speed skater Veronika Kaube and alpine skiing ace Simon Berchtold.

Group photo with all the winners and other dignitaries of the evening

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Handball goalkeeper Constantin Möstl (handball) was voted up-and-comer of the year by the sports fans and climbing coach Kilian Fischhuber was voted coaching personality by a jury of experts. The sports moment of the year was provided by the 3x3 wheelchair basketball team and the 3x3 men's team, who won gold at the European Championships in Vienna. Nico Langmann was named Sportsman with Heart. A special NIKI went to Sports Media Austria Honorary President Michael Kuhn.