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The German basketball world champions after the final against Serbia
Photo: Matthias Stickel / dpa
Gymnast Lukas Dauser and biathlete Denise Herrmann-Wick are Germany's Sportsmen of the Year 2023. The World Championships champion on parallel bars and the sprint world champion were honoured after their successes this year at a festive gala in the Kurhaus in Baden-Baden. The Team of the Year award went to the German basketball players on Sunday, who were crowned world champions for the first time in September.
Herrmann-Wick prevailed in the 77th election of the approximately 3000 members of the Association of German Sports Journalists in the narrowest vote in the history of the women's category. With a lead of only 21 points, the 34-year-old triumphed ahead of five-time world champion Darja Varfolomeev (rhythmic gymnastics), third place went to ski jumping world champion Katharina Schmid (formerly Althaus).
Herrmann-Wick, who is expecting her first child next year, retired at her home World Championships in Oberhof with one gold and two silver medals.
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The decisions for the men and the team were clearer. Dauser relegated open water world champion Florian Wellbrock and rowing champion Oliver Zeidler to second and third place, the first time since Fabian Hambüchen in 2016 that the award for Sportsman of the Year went to a gymnast. Dauser had gymnastics in Antwerp to the first German World Championship gold on bars since 1985 in Montreal.
As expected, there was no way around the national basketball team when it came to awarding the Team of the Year. Dennis Schröder, coached by Gordon Herbert, sensationally won the World Cup crown in late summer after victories over the USA in the semi-finals and Serbia in the final.
Germany's ice hockey runners-up finished in second place, ahead of the German men's hockey team, who won their first World Championship title in 17 years at the beginning of the year.
The top 5 of the 2023 election:
Sportsman of the Year:
1. Lukas Dauser (Gymnastics) 1753 points
2. Florian Wellbrock (swimming) 1062
3. Oliver Zeidler (rowing) 865
4. Eric Frenzel (Nordic Combined) 747
5. Markus Rehm (Para Athletics) 626
Sportswoman of the Year:
1. Denise Herrmann-Wick (Biathlon) 1276 points
2. Darya Varfolomeev (Rhythmic Gymnastics) 1255
3. Katharina Schmid (formerly Althaus/Ski Jumping) 1208
4. Emma Hinze (track cycling) 738
5. Anne Haug (Triathlon) 660
Team of the Year:
1. Men's national basketball team 2539 points
2. Men's national ice hockey team 1718
3. Men's national hockey team 1119
4. Women's Track Cycling Team Sprint 646
5. Biathlon Relay Women 409
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