The 2023 Sports Gala has confirmed cycling as the king of sports in Belgium, naming the nation's most successful cyclist of the day, Lotte Kopecky, as Belgian sportswoman of the year. In the men's category, Remco Evenepoel remains on the throne as sportsman of the year.
The Gala was held on Sunday at the SkyHall of Brussels Airport in Zaventem.
Kopecky, world road champion and twice world time-trial champion claimed her first title at the age of 28 after obtaining third and second places in 2020 and 2022 respectively. Already a winner in 2019 and 2022, the double victor of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège race and new world time-trial champion joined the exclusive club of triple laureates at age 23.
The only other Belgian cyclists to achieve this feat are Eddy Merckx (6), Tom Boonen (3), and Philippe Gilbert (3), in addition to motocross rider Stefan Everts (5) and swimmer Frederik Deburghgraeve (3).
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Cycling dominated the awards, with young rider Alec Segaert – who is the U23 European time-trial champion – named Up-and-Coming Talent for 2023.
Basketball also featured at the event, with two awards given for Team of the Year – Belgian Cats – and Coach of the Year – for Frenchman Rachid Meziane who led the Cats to the European championship, Belgium’s first international title in the sport.
The Paralympic Athlete of the Year is Maxime Carabin, twice world champion in para-athletics (wheelchair).
