Sportsman of the year

As the year draws to a close one recalls some of the great performances of the year. In cricket the award surely has to go that amazing WC enabling innings of Glenn Maxwell. Pollard’s 9 consecutive  kicks under WC pressure is another fine accomplishment. But these were isolated high points, not year long domination of a sport.

Then there were a series of great athletic performances. Noah Lyles looked almost like Bolt at the Worlds for example.

But for me Novak Djokovic has to get the nod. He won 3 of the 4 Majors for a third time….Tiger Woods for example did it once. The year turned on Novak’s win over Alcaraz in Cincinnati in 90 degree heat. He produced a volleying display that Edberg would have been proud of to tilt  the balance in his favor in their rivalry. 

Shortly after that he marched imperiously through the US Open and the ATP YE championship. By contrast Alcaraz was never the same after that match. Winning at age 36 by reinventing your game gets my nod.

Are there other nominations.

Kolisi   Haaland  

Yes I agree Novak gets the nod. An amazing athlete, tennis player and a gutsy individual who never bowed the knee and took the deadly vaxx. He is not like Federer and Nadal a go along to get along type. Hence the Globalist press is continually sniping at him.

To do what he did at 36 is staggering. I hope he can bag a few more grand slams. It looks like he will end at twice the number of weeks at number 1 when compared to Nadal.

A very great era in men's tennis is coming to a close. However young players like Sinner, Alcaraz, Rune, Ben Shelton, and some others will carry the flag. Some others could include Sam Korda and even Jack Draper.

I agree with Djokovic being the Sportsman of the year because he won the Player Championship of  2023 in Turin,   The players themsekves compete to play in Turin for the whole year and regard that series as the ultimate tournament in tennis - only the top 8 playes play in that tournament and it is regarded by the players themselves as the ideal tournamnet to play in and to win.   For them the Major tournaments are important - but the end of the year Championship tourament are more so.        

Hmmm . . . can we give the title to a sports coach . . . someone like Rassie Erasmus for example . . . or does it have to be a sportsman?

If I'm not allowed to pick Rassie then of course Novak Djokovic . . . but a nod towards Jonas Vingegaard and Max Verstappen as well.

Edit: And Noah Lyles.

. . . and Harry Kane . . . and Virat Kohli . . . and Damian Penaud . . .

What a year of sport?! Can anyone remember better?

Max is too good...like a robot...pity there's no real competition for him in F1...

Rassie is my sportsman of the year. 

"Max is too good...like a robot...pity there's no real competition for him in F1..."

Well, he does have a teammate. The fact that Max consistently outperforms his teammates to the extent that he does proves that it's not just Red Bull's utter dominance, it's his genius as well.

Sure people will say it was just the likes of Albon and Perez . . . but he did it to Pierre Gasly as well and Gasly is a brilliant driver . . . as is the terminally unlucky Charl es Leclerc . . .

I loved Schumi and I loved Vettel but Max is next level.

Rassie is the runner up to Novak. 

"I loved Schumi and I loved Vettel but Max is next level."

One thing we can agree on then...and he beat Lewis in a dominant Merc when the Red Bull wasn't the better car...and Hamilton is no push-over.

"One thing we can agree on then...and he beat Lewis in a dominant Merc when the Red Bull wasn't the better car...and Hamilton is no push-over."

Both Versappen and Djokovic are without doubt the two most outstanding sportspersons of 2023.

Some idot has Kolisi as his choice.

Must be related to the 60 minute Skipper.