Thursday, February 26, 2026, the Palais Nikaïa, symbol of Nice’s cultural and sporting life, vibrated to the rhythm of local achievements. The 14th edition of the Victoires du Sport honored the 453 medal-winning athletes from the metropolis who marked 2025, as well as the volunteers, clubs and supporters who keep sport alive on a daily basis. In Nice, where 481 clubs spread across all neighborhoods bear witness to a true sporting culture, this evening was much more than a trophy presentation: it was a celebration of the Nice spirit.
From the opening, the city invited itself inside the Palace. Spectators from Cimiez, Riquier, Saint-Roch and the Plaine du Var vibrated together, like a united metropolis around its passion: sport! Young Nice athletes, their faces still full of dreams and promises, looked up to their role models with admiration, aware that Nice’s sporting tradition is passed down from generation to generation.
The evening was in full swing with laughter, applause and emotion. Volunteers, true pillars of local clubs, were praised for their constant commitment, while supporters made their encouragement resound throughout the hall, reminding us that football, like athletics or mountain biking, is deeply rooted in Nice’s culture.
The giant screens broadcast the highlights of 2025, from races in the hills of the hinterland to competitions on the Promenade des Anglais, including major sporting events such as the Tour de France (men’s and women’s). Each image reminded us that the exploits of champions are not separate from the city: they are its reflection.
Ten years after applauding from the audience himself, Luca Martin took to the stage under the ovations. A few rows further on, Sacha Alessandrini savored the recognition from her Nice club. On the disability sports podium, Raphaël Dutay embodied perseverance, representing a champion absent but triumphant. In this atmosphere where the entire city seemed to exult with its champions, the ceremony reminded us that sport in Nice is never merely individual: it is collective, Nice, and deeply identity-defining.
Champions who make Nice clubs shine
In the men’s category, Luca Martin, trained in Nice clubs and from Tourrette-Levens, was the hero of the evening. His 2025 season was exceptional: first year in the elite, first World Cup victory won in France, and national champion title. “I was on the other side back then when Renaud announced Formula 6, it’s pretty crazy,” he said with a smile. Already looking to the future, Luca aims to “win plenty of races and work with his team,” while highlighting the vitality of Nice’s clubs and infrastructure, from the Cimiez athletics track to the mountain biking trails in the hinterland.
Among the women, Sacha Alessandrini, member of the Nice Côte d’Azur Athletics Club, is also experiencing a unique moment of recognition. “It’s really an honor to be recognized. It also values my club,” she confided, moved. For Sacha, this trophy is the result of years of work and the investment of the local community. Already focused on the European Championships, she hopes to continue bringing home medals, while “watching the clock!” (laughs).
In disability sports, Maxime Montaggioni was elected winner but was absent to receive his trophy. Raphaël Dutay took to the stage in his place, embodying Nice determination: “It motivates me even more to pursue new goals,” he confided. Already focused on the Paralympic Games, Raphaël illustrates that perseverance and passion know no limits, even at the local level.
Exploits that illustrate how much Nice is a city of athletes, where young people can thrive thanks to local infrastructure and the commitment of coaches and volunteers, true pillars of clubs in the neighborhoods from Saint-Roch to Riquier, from Cimiez to the Plaine du Var.
The ceremony also honored the volunteers and supporters who animate Nice clubs throughout the year. After the jersey to celebrate the 40 years of the Populaire Sud, the emblematic supporter group of OGC Nice, a special “Black Eagle” trophy was presented to Nice supporters, a symbol of loyalty and Nice passion for four decades.
A city that breathes sport
Throughout the evening, the Palais Nikaïa resonated with applause from the public and shared emotions. This ceremony showed that the Victoires du Sport celebrate not only individual achievements but above all the sporting and Nice spirit of the city, from its young talents to established champions, through clubs, volunteers and supporters.
Looking to the future, Nice is preparing to host competitions linked to the 2030 Olympic Games, strengthening its role as a regional sporting capital and confirming its ambition to shine on the international stage.
In Nice, sport is not just a passion: it is an identity, a heritage and a way of life. From neighborhoods to clubs, from volunteers to supporters, from young talents to international champions, the 2026 Victoires du Sport remind us through these 453 medalists that Nice lives and breathes sport, ready to welcome with pride and energy the 2030 Olympics!
Results of the evening
Women’s category
3rd place
Manon FIOROT (MMA) – BOXING SQUAD
- Contender for the title at flyweight – Ranked 2nd in her category
- Victory against Jasmine JASUDAVICIUS no. 7 in the world by KO in the 1st round
2nd place
Constance CATARZI (Fencing) – OGC NICE FENCING
- French Champion by foil team
- 3rd national ranking by team 2025
- 3rd world ranking by team
1st place
Sacha ALESSANDRINI (Athletics) – NCAA
- French Champion – 100m hurdles
- French Vice-Champion – 60m hurdles
- Participation in the 2025 World Athletics Championships – 7th in semi-final
Men’s category
3rd place
Jérémie DELBOIS (Swimming) – ONN
- French Champion – 50m breaststroke short course
- French Champion – 100m breaststroke short course
- French Vice-Champion – 50m breaststroke long course
- 3rd world in 4x100m medley in Singapore
2nd place
Adam SIAO HIM FA (Figure Skating) – NBAA
- 4th place at the Figure Skating World Championships
- 3rd Europe Championship 2025
- 2nd Grand Prix of France
- 2nd French Championship
1st place
Luca MARTIN (Mountain Biking) – Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur Sports
- French Champion XCC: Cross-Country Short Track
- French Champion XCO: Cross-Country Olympic
- Victory on the World Cup Short-Track round at Pal Arinsal
- 2nd on the World Cup Cross-Country round
- Victory on the World Cup round in Olympic format at Les Gets
- Winner UCI Short Track Mont Saint Anne
- 2nd in XCC World Cup 2025 overall standings
- 3rd in XCO World Cup 2025 overall standings
Disability Sport & Adapted Sport category
3rd place
Raphael DUTAY (Para-Swimming) – ONN
- 2nd World Championship Thailand adapted sport swimming 4×50 medley
- 2nd World Championship Thailand adapted sport swimming 4×100 medley
- 3rd World Championship Thailand adapted sport swimming 4×100 mixed medley relay
- 3rd World Championship Thailand adapted sport swimming 4×50 men’s freestyle
2nd place
Serge ROBIN (Para-Fencing) – OGC NICE FENCING
- 1st in national sabre ranking
- Winner of the World Cup Individual Sabre in Sao Paulo
- 2nd French Championship individual sabre
- Winner national circuit Sarrebourg sabre
- Winner national circuit Troyes sabre
- Winner Jean Cottard International Challenge Sabre
- 3rd in national épée ranking
- 3rd French Championship individual épée
- 3rd national circuit Sarrebourg sabre
- 3rd Jean Cottard International Challenge Sabre
1st place
Maxime MONTAGGIONI (Para-Snowboard) – ANICES
4th place at the Snowboard Cross World Championship SB-UL individual
World Champion snowboard Cross by team
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