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Kerber, Lange named athletes of the year

December 17, 2018

Germany's sports media have voted the Wimbledon and Ironman champions as the nation's top athletes for 2018. But the country's record 14 Winter Olympic champions left the awards empty-handed.

Angelique Kerber of Germany returns against Serena Williams
Image: Getty Images/O. Mason

Tennis player Angelique Kerber and triathlete Patrick Lange have been named Germany's athletes at an annual gala in Baden-Baden.

Kerber won Wimbledon this year while Lange won Hawaii's Ironman competition, the first person to do so in less than eight hours.

But Germany's record 14 Winter Olympic champions from Pyeongchang left the awards empty-handed.

Kerber wins Wimbledon title

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Second win for Kerber

It's the second time Kerber has won the award, after a grand slam win in 2016. This year she edged out multiple track cycling world champion Kristina Vogel, who became paraplegic after a training accident in June.

"You are a role model for so many people. You have shown so much willpower," Kerber told Vogel at the ceremony on Sunday.

Two-time Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier came in third.

Lange claimed a second straight world title in OctoberImage: picture-alliance/GES/M. Gilliar

Lange tops Frenzel, Abele

In the men's category, Lange beat out Nordic combined skier and two-time Pyeongchang gold medalist Eric Frenzel and European decathlon champion Arthur Abele.

The awards are decided by a vote from 1,100 sports journalists.

aw/cmk (dpa, sid)

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