Overview
- Johanna Recktenwald, 24, captured the women’s honor after winning biathlon gold in Pokljuka along with multiple silvers at the world championships.
- Paralympic champion Josia Topf, 22, took the men’s award following four medals at the 2025 swimming worlds in Singapore, including two golds.
- Germany’s U23 wheelchair basketball team earned team of the year after reclaiming the world title in Brazil with a late turnaround against Turkey, becoming the first European side to win the crown twice.
- The ceremony was presented for the first time live on ZDF’s Aktuelles Sportstudio, expanding national visibility for para sport.
- Voting blended an expert panel with about 12,000 online ballots, with reported shares showing Recktenwald at 23%, Topf at 28% and the U23 team at 44%; 19-year-old Jule Roß received the newcomer prize after a German 400m record and world bronze in India.