Benjamin Karl and Katharina Huber secured the prestigious Athlete of the Year titles at the 50th edition of the Sportlounge Niederösterreich, celebrated at the Campus Hall in Krems an der Donau. The milestone gala brought together the top winter and summer sport stars from across the federal state to honor international podium finishes and regional club milestones achieved over the previous year.
For Karl, the home state recognition followed a golden campaign on the international slopes. The Wilhelmsburg snowboarder claimed gold in the parallel giant slalom at the Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, adding a second Olympic title to his career résumé. Local reporting noted that Karl’s home state victory arrived after he finished fourth in the nationwide Austrian Athlete of the Year voting, turning regional support firmly in his favor ahead of fellow snowboarder and bronze medalist Jakob Dusek and tennis doubles standout Lucas Miedler.
On the women’s side, Katharina Huber captured the Sportswoman of the Year award. The Waidhofen an der Ybbs alpine skier earned the honor following her gold medal performance in the alpine team combined event alongside Ariane Rädler at the Italian Winter Games. MeinBezirk.at reported that marathon record-holder Julia Mayer and bobsled pilot Katrin Beierl rounded out the top three places in the women’s voting.
JAGS Vöslau and Veronika Aigner Take Team and Parasport Trophies
In the team category, the handball squad JAGS Vöslau received the Team of the Year award. The club captured its first-ever championship title in its 80-year history during the preceding league season, creating what organizers highlighted as a historic milestone for regional indoor sports.
The parasport category recognized Gloggnitz skier Veronika Aigner, who earned the accolade for the third year. Competing alongside her guides Lilly Sammer and Eric Digruber, Aigner secured four gold medals and one silver medal at the Paralympics.
Provincial Leadership Highlights Grassroots Sports and Volunteerism
Udo Landbauer, the province’s sports minister and deputy governor, praised the honories during the anniversary proceedings. Our sport stars have demonstrated their world-class status on the biggest stages of sport in recent months and filled all of Lower Austria with pride,
Landbauer stated, emphasizing that the diverse disciplines reflect the region’s athletic depth.
Beyond elite international results, the evening dedicated a special category to community volunteering. The Sport Hero of the Year audience vote went to Werner Gratzer of Sportverein Sooß. Serving as vice president and under-12 youth coach, Gratzer received the recognition for his ongoing grassroots commitment to introducing children to physical activity.
Tennis Icon Jürgen Melzer Inducted into Regional Sports History
The program concluded with the traditional induction of a regional sports legend. Former top-ten tennis professional Jürgen Melzer was honored for his career achievements, which include three Grand-Slam titles, a French Open semifinal appearance in 2010, and three tournament victories at the Vienna ATP event. Melzer immortalized his career by pressing his hands into a ceremonial legend plaque, which will be permanently installed at the entrance of the Sportzentrum Niederösterreich. Melzer currently serves as sports director for the Austrian Tennis Association (ÖTV) and captain of the national Davis Cup team.
Historical records show that the Sportlounge Niederösterreich originated in 1976, when Wolfgang Tschirk, Elfi Deufl, and SVS Schwechat took the inaugural honors. Table tennis player Werner Schlager holds the men’s record with seven wins between 1995 and 2009, while skier Michaela Dorfmeister leads the women’s list with eight titles earned from 1998 to 2006.
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