Weißhaidinger & Hudson

These are our athletes of the year 2024

Lukas Weißhaidinger and Victoria Hudson:

(Bild: ÖLV / Robert Katzenbeisser)

Lukas Weißhaidinger and Victoria Hudson are Austria's "Athletes of the Year 2024". As in the previous year, the two throwers came out on top in the vote organized by the ÖLV.

Weißhaidinger came out on top ahead of 1500 m sensation Raphael Pallitsch, hurdles ace Enzo Diessl and sprinter Markus Fuchs, while Vicky Hudson won the vote ahead of 400 m record holder Susanne Gogl-Walli, marathon runner Julia Mayer and Karin Strametz (100 m hurdles). 

(Bild: GEPA)

Number 4 in the world
There was no doubt about the choice of the duo of Hudson & Weißhaidinger. Victoria Hudson had started her season with a brilliant record. In Eisenstadt on 22 May, she threw a new record of 66.06 m, which put her in fourth place in the world's best list at the end of 2024. With this record, she was one of the favorites at the European Championships in Rome. She lived up to expectations and won the gold medal with 64.62 m - the first European Championship title for Austria since Ilona Gusenbauer's high jump gold in Helsinki in 1971.

It goes without saying that Victoria Hudson was also highly rated for the Games in Paris, but she did not have a good day there and was eliminated in the qualifying round. She made up for this disappointment with a great fourth place in the Diamond League final, just ten centimetres off the podium with 62.30m. Hudson commented on the award: "I'm delighted to have been named Athlete of the Year for the second time in a row after such a great year."

(Bild: GEPA/Sporthilfe)

Silver for the first time
For the tenth time in a row, Lukas Weißhaidinger is at the top in Austria. Just like Victoria Hudson, he also got off to a sensational start in Eisenstadt. He threw the discus 69.04 m, which remained his best distance in 2024. At the European Championships in Rome, he was only beaten by Kristjan Ceh (Slo/68.08 m) with 67.70 m. After winning bronze at the Olympics, World Championships and European Championships, this was Lukas Weißhaidinger's first silver medal at an international championship. He also finished a strong fifth in his third Olympic final in Paris and rounded off his great season with a third place in the Diamond League final. Weißhaidinger: "I'm delighted to have been named Athlete of the Year for the tenth time in a row. It's not easy to compete at such a high level for so long and remain largely injury-free."

Age-old record broken
The second places in this election were also up for grabs. Susanne Gogl-Walli once again delivered consistently strong performances throughout the year. These began in the indoor season, when she improved her Austrian records in the preliminary heat (51.43) and sixth place in the final (51.37) at the World Championships in Glasgow. She took her great indoor form into the outdoor season, where she reached her first major final of the summer at the European Championships in Rome, finishing a strong seventh in 51.23. As in Tokyo, she also reached the semifinals at the Olympics in Paris, finishing 19th as the best Austrian athlete at these games. She fulfilled her long-cherished dream in Zurich when she broke Karoline Käfer's age-old record (50.62) with a time of 50.60.

Sensation at the European Championships
Raphael Pallitsch ran record after record and a sensational European Championship race this year. Indoors, the 1500 m comet erased Robert Nemeth's best performance (3:38.50/1985) from the lists in Ostrava with 3:37.36, outdoors he set new ÖLV records in Rehlingen (3.33.78) and in Ostrava (3:33.59). His unforgettable hit was his race in the European Championship final. With a sensational finish, he stormed to sixth place in 3:33.60. He reached the hopeful round at the Games, where he was eliminated, but finished in a good 24th place overall.