Melzer named Sportsman of the Year
Tennis ace Jürgen Melzer has been awarded Austrian Sportsman of the Year.The 29-year-old, who reached the semi final at this years French Open, was honoured as best Austrian athlete of 2010 in a ceremony held in Vösendorf near Vienna last night (Weds). He succeeds ski jumper Wolfgang Loitzl.Skier Andrea Fischbacher was named Austrian Sportswoman of the Year following 2009’s winner Mirna Jukic. The swimmer, who recently announced her retirement, also received the honour the year before, and in 2002. Fischbacher, 25, sensationally claimed gold in the Olympic Super-G in February.The Austrian Nordic-combined team of Felix Gottwald, Mario Stecher, Bernhard Gruber and David Kreiner won Olympic gold in Vancouver were honoured as Team of the Year. The Austrian ski jumping team received the same honour last year.Toni Innauer, 1980 Olympic gold-winning ski jumper and director of the Nordic disciplines department at the Austrian Skiing Federation (ÖSV), received the Special Award under standing ovations.