Austria's annual sports awards history and timeline

Austria’s annual sports awards carry a long and documented history of honoring collective achievement alongside individual brilliance. From dominant football squads to legendary ski-jumping quartets and sailing partnerships, the national accolade reflects the shifting landscape of Austrian sports dominance across decades.

Decades of Team Excellence in Austrian Sports

The tradition of recognizing top-performing groups spans multiple generations of competitive success. Records show that team selections began decades ago, capturing golden eras for Austrian winter sports and team disciplines alike. Football sides, alpine and Nordic ski teams, sailing duos, and rowing champions have all claimed the prestigious designation since the late 1970s.

Winter sports historically anchor a significant portion of the honor roll. Dominant ski-jumping teams—featuring stalwarts like Gregor Schlierenzauer, Thomas Morgenstern, Andreas Kofler, and Martin Koch—frequently swept the voting periods throughout the 2000s and early 2010s. Similarly, the nation’s Nordic combined athletes secured multiple team recognitions.

Football and Sailing Milestones on the National Stage

Collective ball sports maintain a strong footprint in the historical statistics. The women’s national football team also earned the national accolade in 2017.

Beyond traditional team sports, pairs and small crews competing under national colors have consistently punched above their weight.

Historical Timeline of Award Recipients

Reviewing the chronological record highlights the evolving nature of Austrian athletic prominence:

2026: LASK (Football)
2025: Eishockey Nationalteam (Ice Hockey)
2024: Vadlau/Mähr (Sailing)
2023: ÖFB-Nationalteam (Football)
2022: FC Red Bull Salzburg (Football)
2021: FC Red Bull Salzburg (Football)
2020: FC Red Bull Salzburg (Football)
2019: FC Red Bull Salzburg (Football)
2018: FC Red Bull Salzburg (Football)
2017: ÖFB-Nationalteam Frauen (Football)
2016: Thomas Zajac & Tanja Frank (Sailing)
2015: Fußball-Nationalmannschaft (Football)
2014: Lara Vadlau und Jolanta Ogar (Sailing)
2013: Doris und Stefanie Schwaiger (Beachvolleyball)
2012: Skisprung-Team (Koch, Kofler, Morgenstern, Schlierenzauer)
2002: Nordische Kombinierer (Bieler, Gruber, Stecher, Gottwald)
1992: Viererbob-Olympiasieger (Appelt, Winkler, Haidacher, Schroll)
1990: Tennis-Daviscupteam (Muster, Skoff, Antonitsch)
1978: Fußball-Nationalmannschaft (Football)

These designations continue to serve as an official benchmark for collective sporting excellence within Austria, documenting the evolution of competitive success across winter, summer, team, and tactical disciplines.