Martina Hingis is one of the greatest Swiss athletes. But the 25-time major winner is not nominated for the SRF sports selection “the best of 70 years”.
Hingis was very successful. She was the youngest number 1 in women’s tennis and was at the top for a total of 209 weeks. She won five Grand Slam titles in singles, 13 in doubles and 7 in mixed.
Photo: Peter Klaunzer (Keystone)
The 40-year-old is happily married to Harald Leemann.
Photo: Imago
Martina Hingis was a very successful Swiss athlete.
However, she is not honored for her career.
The reason for this is a misstep that she made several years ago.
On December 13th, the SRF will broadcast the “Sport Awards” to our living rooms. Then «the best from 70 years» will be honored. Because of the corona pandemic this year, Swiss television is foregoing the “Sport Awards” that viewers traditionally know. Instead of the most outstanding athletes of 2020, the best athletes of the last 70 years will be chosen in the TV show.
The nominees for the men are Simon Ammann (ski jumping), Dario Cologna (cross-country skiing), Roger Federer (tennis), Werner Günthör (athletics), Bernhard Russi (alpine skiing) and Pirmin Zurbriggen (alpine skiing). Denise Biellmann (figure skating), Ariella Käslin (artistic gymnastics), Lise-Marie Morerod (alpine skiing), Simone Niggli-Luder (orienteering), Erika Reymond-Hess (alpine skiing) and Vreni Schneider (alpine skiing) are women.
The list sounds complete. But it is not. The world’s most famous Swiss athlete is not there: Martina Hingis. Hingis was the youngest number 1 in women’s tennis and a total of 209 weeks at the top. She won five Grand Slam titles in singles, 13 in doubles and 7 in mixed. At the Olympic Games in Rio 2016, she also won the silver medal in doubles with Timea Bacsinszky.
However, all these triumphs and successes are not enough to receive the title of “the best of 70 years”. The reason: the two-year doping ban that Hingis had to serve in 2007 for using cocaine.
The decision is bitter for the 40-year-old Swiss woman. And it also seems a little arbitrary.
Foto: Getty Images
The decision seems strange
Ralph Stöckli, the Swiss Olympic boss, who is part of the electoral body, told the “Tagesanzeiger” (fee): “In 2018 we included an ethical addendum in the election regulations for the Sports Awards. For this year’s special election, we applied it in such a way that athletes who have been banned from doping offenses in their careers are not eligible for selection. With a heavy heart about Martina Hingis. In the knowledge of what she has achieved for Swiss sport. “
The decision is bitter for the 40-year-old Swiss woman. And it also seems a little arbitrary. Hingis was nominated for Swiss Sportswoman of the Year in 2015 and 2017, and in 2016 with Bacsinszky for Team of the Year. With these nominations, nobody cared about her cocaine misstep.
The entire background can be read here (for a fee).
Do you or someone you know have a problem with illegal drugs?
Feel-ok, Informations for young people
Infodrog, Informations and substance warnings
