Armand Duplantis won WC and EC gold, broke three world records in 2022, and in the world of athletics he has topped every single list of the best male athlete.
But despite that, the 23-year-old had to leave the arena without a prize - a scandal according to SVT's expert.
- That he leaves without a single award is almost like a mockery, says Alhaji Jeng to SVT Sport.
"It's very strange"
Duplantis was in the fight for the Jerring prize for a long time on Monday, but when four candidates became three, he disappeared in the next to last round against Marcus Eriksson, Henrik von Eckermann where van der Poel emerged victorious from the fight.
The skater also received performance of the year and male athlete of the year.
- That he doesn't win the year's performance or the year's male athlete I think is very strange.
It will be little that he is punished because he is so good, there are no fence yard records he has broken straight away, says Jeng.
Duplantis, who won everything there was to win last year, landed outside the top three when the Swedish people voted on who would receive the Jerring Prize.
- What can be said, that he will have a better season next year?
Then it will just be a parody of the whole thing.
"What's going on?"
Last winter, the international sports journalism organization AIPS named Duplantis, among other things, as the world's second best male athlete in 2022 - beaten only by soccer player Leo Messi.
Jen again:
- Duplantis is a global superstar, of course he has a tough competitor in van der Pool, but "Mondo's" results speak for themselves.
I don't know what to say, it's kind of surprising that he won't get an award - what's going on?
The world number one was rated
Even the world number one in jumping, Henrik von Eckermann was without a prize.
- It is a complex sport, there are infinitely many more hours we put in.
Many do not understand how incredibly difficult horses are, says SVT's expert Lotta Björe.