The Acropolis hosts the 5th Sports Victories tonight. An awards ceremony to honor the achievements of athletes from Nice. Introducing the nominees.
Six women for one trophy
Several categories for this new edition of the Sports Victories. Let’s start with the women. Six athletes are in the running to win the coveted sesame. Charlotte Bonnet in swimming. Two titles of French Champion in 50m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly and qualification for the London 2012 Olympics. Last year in the youth category, she was French Champion in 50m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly, the 4x100m Freestyle relay, and the 4×100 Medley relay. Another swimmer from ONN will seek to take the best lane to surpass everyone. Anna Santamans clinched two titles at the French Championships in 50m freestyle, butterfly, and the 4×100 freestyle and 4×100 medley relays.
Nastasia Noëns for her magnificent performances in 2012 with a 4th place in Soldeu and a 5th in Flachau in Slalom. Also French Champion in the same specialty and in combined, she will have to slalom between her adversaries to reach the Grail. An 11th place in the Overall World Cup ranking in the specialty shows that the Azur skier can compete with the best.
Another athlete made her mark in 2012. It is of course Cynthia Vescan. French wrestling champion with her club Nice Olympic, she also took silver in her category at the European Championships and participated in the last London Olympic Games alongside Charlotte Bonnet.
The last two nominees will use their fists and energy to knock out their evening opponents. Adeline May in French boxing with a title of European Champion under 18 and a title of French Champion. Then Sonia Fuza in karate, with a superb bronze medal at the World Championships.
The men are not left out
Like their female counterparts, the Azurian athletes will also have six contenders for the Sports Victories. The first of them, Clément Lefert. Some may have seen him on the TF1 show Splash a few days ago, but it is especially in the pools that the swimmer expresses himself best. Olympic Champion and Vice-champion with, respectively, the 4×100 and 4×200 freestyle relay, Yannick Agnel’s teammate also succeeded in his French Championships with a title in the 100m butterfly and bronze in the 100m freestyle.
Like Adeline May, three men will don the gloves and kicks to reach the Grail. Let’s start with Thierry Ardissone. The kickboxer won the European WKN (World Kickboxing Network) belt last year against Spaniard Juan Rodriguez. A great performance for this young Niçois from a lineage of great champions like his father Edmond Ardissone. The second is Denis Saioni in boxing. After the European EBA (European Boxing Association) belt, the boxer announced his retirement from sports. Finally, Augustin Bata in taekwondo with a title of French Champion and a beautiful second place at the European Championships in -87 kg.
Guillaume Nery will have to hold his breath again before the verdict. The freediver is one of the references in the discipline. With a new French record by diving to 123 meters and a title of Team Vice-world Champion.
A footballer from OGCN on this list. Not Alexy Bosetti, Neal Maupay, but indeed Fabien Dao Castellana, a pure product of the Nice training. Winner of the Gambardella Cup with the young Aiglons, he is one of the rising stars of GYM. He made his professional debut during the first match of the season, at Stade du Ray, against Ajaccio.
Do not forget Paralympic sport
This year, four Paralympic athletes caught the attention. A new swimmer in the person of Clara Perrin. The member of ACSA 06 (Adapted Culture and Sport Association) clinched the title of French Champion in 400m freestyle (D1). As for Nathalie Cuny, she won the title of French Champion in 10 km.
Two men complete these nominations, Benjamin Landier and Robert Sellem. The first for his title of Duathlon World Champion, a second place at the last French Championships’ launched KM, and a victory at the Bayonne International Criterium. The second for a title of French Champion in épée 2012 for visually impaired athletes. Robert Sellem is no stranger to podiums as he had already won bronze at the 2011 French Fencing Championships.
So see you from 6:30 p.m. at the Acropolis Palace to find out who will be the new champions of the 2012 sporting year.
