With 2,500 guests in the booming Brucknerhaus in Linz, the OÖN Gala Night of Sports yesterday returned to the glory days before the “Corona break”. The atmosphere in the most beautiful ballroom in the country was brilliant with celebrities and adabei. One of the highlights: Franz Klemm was awarded the “Sports Life Award Austria”, which has previously been given to greats such as Franz Beckenbauer, Boris Becker, Katharina Witt and Toni Innauer.
Picture gallery: OÖN Gala Night of Sports: The pictures from the photo box
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Even before the spectacular opening with song contest starter Nathan Trent and violinist Allegra Tinnefeld, this gala night was a “heartfelt affair” for Klemm. Together with Andreas Goldberger there was a meeting with the Upper Austrian cardiologist Helmut Pürerfellner, who, in his role as European President of Cardiac Rhythmologists, is currently launching a campaign for “Global Pulse Day” on March 1st. Bracket and Goldberger have their hearts in the right place and spontaneously joined in as supporters of this project.
Thomas Dreßen’s heart was probably also pounding when he was celebrated for the first time on the stage of the Brucknerhaus in his adopted home of Upper Austria. On the occasion of the end of his career, the 30-year-old Kitzbühel winner from 2018 was honored by State Sports Councilor Markus Achleitner. Incidentally, the busy politician, like Governor Thomas Stelzer, presenter Silvia Schneider and Labor Minister Martin Kocher, “warmed up” for the Linz gala night at the Opera Ball in Vienna on Thursday evening. Another federal politician, Sports Minister and Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler, was at the ball level in the Brucknerhaus.
Image: Volker Weihbold
The big sporting topics on stage were the Summer Olympics in Paris and the European Football Championships in Germany. Susanne Gogl-Walli, Upper Austria’s Athlete of the Year 2023, already has her ticket in her pocket, unlike rowing ace Magdalena Lobnig. Para-triathlete Florian Brungraber is also a regular starter in Paris.
ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick will be at the European Championships, but he canceled the gala yesterday with a heavy heart. At the Nations League draw on Thursday in Paris he caught a virus that brought him to his knees. It wasn’t football fever.
Image: Volker Weihbold
Photo gallery: Gala Night of Sports was ceremoniously opened
(Photo: VOLKER WEIHBOLD) Bild 1/24
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