Leo Neugebauer and Franziska Preuß Crowned Athletes of the Year

Decathlon world ‍champion and world record holder leo Neugebauer secured the top spot in​ the men’s category at the 79th annual “Athletes of the Year” awards ceremony held in Baden-Baden on Sunday, December 15, 2024. Biathlete Franziska Preuß was ‌similarly honored‌ in the ‍women’s category, ⁤following her overall World Cup victory.

The selection process, implemented as 2023, involves​ a preselection by national squad athletes ⁢followed by a final vote from members of the‌ Association of ​German Sports Journalists.

Team Triumphs: Basketball and Rowing Shine

The German men’s basketball team earned the “Team of ⁤the Year” award for the second time in three years, building on their European championship ​title. The women’s quadruple sculls team – Pia Greiten, Lisa‌ Gutfleisch, Frauke Hundeling, and Sarah Wibberenz – earned a bronze medal at both the World Cup and the Olympic Games (with a⁤ slightly different lineup), but‍ did⁢ not place within the top ten in the ⁢final voting.

Olympic ⁢singles champion Oliver Zeidler, who won gold ​in Paris in 2024, finished seventh in the 2025 vote despite a reduced training and competition schedule. He secured a silver medal at the World Championships in Shanghai in⁣ September 2024 and has recently completed his MBA studies⁢ in Lausanne.

Historic Recognition for Special Olympics Athlete

In ​a landmark decision, the “Special Olympics Female Athlete of the Year” award was presented for the⁣ first time to an athlete ⁣with intellectual disabilities. Short track athlete Sophie Dziadek received the honor for‌ her outstanding ⁢performance at​ the‍ Winter World Games in Turin, where she won both ⁤gold and‍ silver medals.