Sports dream couple

Summer fairytale: “I would never have expected this!”

Valentin Bontus and Victoria Hudson

(Bild: Urbantschitsch Mario)

Austria's sports dream couple of the year is Valentin Bontus (above in the video) and Victoria Hudson. This is only the second time in the last 20 years that the winners have come purely from summer sports. "I would never have expected this, I could only have dreamed of it," said Hudson jubilantly.

Austria, a purely winter sports nation? Not at all! For only the second time in the past 20 years, Austria's sporting dream team is entirely at home in summer sports. The beaming winners, who were honored in front of 1500 guests (record!) including musical interludes by Ina Regen, Kaleen and Julian le Play in the Wiener Stadthalle, are Valentin Bontus and Victoria Hudson! It is the first "NIKI" for both of them. Bontus, who won Olympic gold in kitesurfing off the coast of Marseille in August, was jubilant: "Only the greatest athletes in the country have won this award - it's a great honor for me to be one of them." The 23-year-old from Lower Austria, who was accompanied by his family and girlfriend and won ahead of Stefan Kraft and Manuel Feller, came in all black - in France he had still raced to gold in a white "suit".

Valentin Bontus and Victoria Hudson

(Bild: Urbantschitsch Mario)

The day that changed a lot in Bontus' life: a year ago, only sports insiders knew him, but now the gold hero is in high demand. "The last few weeks have been intense, the calendar full." Which won't change any time soon after yesterday. Although he says: "I hope that I don't have to take the trophy with me everywhere like my gold, it's already heavy." Yesterday he had a beer or two to celebrate the day, Bontus laughed: "I'm a public figure now, so I can't behave like that when I'm celebrating."

Tears in his eyes
Hudson was also allowed to celebrate - the 28-year-old from Lower Austria was the first female athlete since Ivona Dadic to be crowned in 2020 and cheered with tears in her eyes. "Oh my God," she was stunned in her first reaction. "I never expected this, I could only have dreamed of it!" After all, she had fallen short of her expectations at the Olympics in Paris. But European Outdoor Championship gold in Rome, the first for Austrian athletics since 1971, won over the sports journalists. "I am so proud that the European Championship title has been recognized like this. This is the greatest award an Austrian athlete can receive."

In front of a number of the country's sporting heroes as well as our "favorite German" Felix Neureuther, the Olympic gold medal duo Lara Vadlau/Lukas Mähr were honored as Team of the Year, while two-time Para silver medalist Thomas Frühwirth and javelin bronze medalist Natalija Eder won the award for athletes with disabilities.

Emotional highlight
The most emotional moment of the evening: David Alaba, who immortalized himself on the street of winners, presented Dominic Thiem with the Special Award to a standing ovation. "He is a world-class athlete and deserves this," said Alaba. Dominic's long-standing rivals agreed - video messages from Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were played, all congratulating Thiem on his "great career".

The top 10 in the men's singles:
1st BONTUS Valentin (kitesurfing) 1129 votes
2. KRAFT Stefan (ski jumping) 891
3. FELLER Manuel (alpine skiing) 477
4. SCHUBERT Jakob (climbing) 360
5. AUBÖCK Felix (swimming) 303
6. SABITZER Marcel (soccer) 194
7. KARL Benjamin (snowboarding) 153
8. WEISSHAIDINGER Lukas (athletics) 140
9. PREINING Thomas (motor sports) 103
10. STRAKA Sepp (golf) 100

The top 10 women:
1. HUDSON Victoria (athletics) 676 votes
2. HÜTTER Cornelia (Alpine skiing) 652
3. PILZ Jessica (climbing) 562
4. HÖLL Valentina (mountain biking) 496
5. POLLERES Michaela (judo) 471
6. ALEXANDRI Vasiliki (synchronized swimming) 415
7. PINKELNIG Eva (ski jumping) 196
8. MÖRZ Charlize (gymnastics) 181
9th EGLE Madeleine (luge/artificial track) 149
10. DREIER Sarah (ski mountaineering) 126