FC Südtirol wrote a fairy tale in 2023. © DLife

Athlete choice: Which coaches and teams win?

The “Dolomites” athlete election is coming up. From now on we are looking for South Tyrol's most successful and popular athletes as well as coaches and teams.

10. February 2024

From: sn

Those up for election were already announced on Thursday and Friday Women and Men introduced, now it's the turn of the coaches and teams. Votes for the favorites can be cast until March 10th. You can vote using a coupon, on this online site and in the Dolomiten-Zett app.

The trainer candidates

Pierpaolo Bisoli (football)

The long-time Serie A professional takes over FC Südtirol as bottom of Serie B with 0 points after 3 rounds and sensationally leads the White-Reds, who were considered relegated, to the gates of Serie A. Only in the play-off semi-finals against Bari is the final stop.

Alexander Inderst (biathlon)

The head coach of the biathletes can look forward to World Cup victories, podium places and even world championship titles in 2023. The women's relay team with Doro Wierer, Hannah Auchentaller, Samuela Comola and Lisa Vittozzi triumphed at the World Cup, Tommaso Giacomel brought him up to the top of the world, Lisa Vittozzi found her way back to her old strength.

Michael Much Mair (Alpine skiing)

Much is not only legendary as a downhill skier, he also celebrates success as a trainer. At the 2023 World Ski Championships, as coach of the Italian women's speed team, he leads Marta Bassino to the Super-G title, Federica Brignone wins combined gold and silver in the giant slalom. And: Sofia Goggia wins the 3rd downhill crystal ball.

Roland Platzer (Alpine skiing)

The long-time successful coach of the Swiss ski women will continue to win medals and trophies on the assembly line in 2023. Jasmine Flury wins the World Cup downhill, Corinne Suter comes third. Lara Gut-Behrami also wins the Super-G crystal ball and comes second in the overall ranking.

Jürgen Prantner (handball)

The most successful Meran player of all time has been a coach in Meran since 2009 (only a year break) and is also an assistant coach in the national team. With refreshing, fast-paced handball, he led the Black Devils to the play-off semi-finals last year and to the finals of the Supercup and the Italian Cup this season.

Simone Vagnozzi (tennis)

When he became Jannik Sinner's coach two years ago, many people turned up their noses. But the ex-professional, who lived in South Tyrol for 2 years, was voted “Coach of the Year” 10 by the ATP along with Darren Cahill. Sinner rose to world class among the two and won the Davis Cup.

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Football: FC South Tyrol

© Felice Calabro' / Felice Calabrò

FC Südtirol is writing a football fairy tale that is receiving international attention and only ends in the play-off semi-finals in front of more than 50.000 spectators in the San Nicola Stadium in Bari. It is the fairy tale of the team that starts as a relegated team and later knocks on the door of Serie A. The dream of promotion is shattered, the fabulous season remains and will remain with South Tyrolean football forever. After 3 rounds, the FCS is bottom of the table with 0 points, and the success story begins under coach general Pierpaolo Bisoli. The White-Reds remained unbeaten for 12 games in both the first and second half of the season.

Ice hockey: HC Bozen

© Photo Max Pattis

HCB Südtirol Alperia reached the final of the ICE Hockey League (ICEHL) for the fourth time since joining the league in summer 4. The “White-Reds” are 2013 minutes away from their third championship title against Red Bull Salzburg. They led 10-3 in the 7th final game until minute 50.25:1, before the “Red Bulls” turned the tables with two goals and wrested the “Karl Nedwed Trophy” from the South Tyroleans. Despite the bitter defeat, HCB can look back on a great season. The “Füchse” finished the regular season in first place for the second time with 0 wins in 2 games and 37 points. In the quarterfinals they defeated Linz with 48:106 victories and moved into the final with 2:1 victories against Vienna.

Bowling: KK Neumarkt

© fs

The Neumarkt bowling association has been the crème de la crème of South Tyrolean bowling sport for years. “Equipped” with foreign superstars Vilmos Zavarko, Erik Kuna and Tamas Kiss as well as local top players Wolfgang Blaas, Armin Egger and Georg Righi, the Unterlandlers have fulfilled their sporting dream in 2023. In October they won the World Cup in Apatin (Serbia), which, along with the Champions League, is the biggest international title in bowling. Added to this are the Italian championship and the Italian Cup, where nothing has been able to get past the team of the coaching duo Hermann Ludwig & Bernhard Geisler for years.

Snowboard: Ochner/March

Aaron March and Nadya Ochner repeatedly come away empty-handed at major events. Their big moment comes on February 22nd: At the Snowboard World Championships in Bakuriani, the big coup comes in the last competition of the title fights. The 36-year-old young father from Völs and the 29-year-old law student from Burgstall eliminated the two top favorites Schöffmann/Prommegger (Austria). For March and Ochner it is the first World Cup medal ever after a long career - and it is made of gold. Ochner will announce her retirement from active racing in December 2023. March continues and is still part of the strong Azzurri team.

Handball: SSV Brixen

The SSV Brixen handball players have to wait more than 30 years for an important trophy, and 35 years for the Italian Cup. Now the Eisacktaler have won the “pot” twice within 52 weeks. On February 5, 2023, they won the cup after a final victory in Rimini over Junior Fasano, and last Sunday they repeated the feat with a 26:25 win in the historic South Tyrolean final against Merano in Riccione. In the championship, Davor Cutura's team is currently at the top of the table after their semi-final exit last season. And Brixen also reached the round of 23 in the European Cup for the first time in XNUMX years.

Tobogganing: Vötter/Oberhofer

This duo gets along excellently on the ice track and away from the sport. Andrea Vötter (Völs, left) and Marion Oberhofer (Rodeneck) conquer the big crystal ball straight away in the premiere season of the women's doubles in artificial track tobogganing. After 4 World Cup victories and 11 podium places in 13 races, they are the deserved winners after a dream season. Vötter/Oberhofer also won the European Championship gold medal in Sigulda (Latvia) and won two bronze medals at the World Luge Championships in Oberhof: once in the sprint and then in the “real” doubles competition. In two years, precious metal will also be featured at the Olympic Games.



















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