Simon Ehammer delivers the season of his life. But when it comes to being voted Swiss Sportsman of the Year 2026, he predicts that someone will be ahead of him: Franjo von Allmen.
02.06.2026, 05:01
02.06.2026, 06:50
SDA
Simon Ehammer is never at a loss for cheeky remarks. He recently joked at the Swiss Athletics media conference, at which he appeared together with wheelchair athlete Marcel Hug: "It seems as if Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner deliberately take turns in voting for Para Athlete of the Year. It would be nice if Odi and I did the same!"
The ski star Odermatt and Ehammer know each other well, they have the same sports manager and share sponsors. But Odermatt has recently won Swiss Sportsman of the Year five times.
So far this year, Ehammer has won everything a Swiss athlete can win: World Indoor Championship gold, a world record in the heptathlon, world-class marks of 8.51 m in the long jump and 8778 points in the decathlon including a historic victory at the all-around meeting last weekend in Götzis. And the European Championships in Birmingham with a possible gold medal are still to come.
And yet the 26-year-old from Appenzell himself provides the reason why he will ultimately only be number 2 at the Swiss Sports Awards. "It would be enough against Odi. But not against someone who has won three Olympic gold medals." Despite his popularity, the athlete sees no way around Franjo von Allmen. In his opinion, even further great deeds will not change the balance of power. He has no chance against this charisma. Sand pit or track are powerless against snow slopes in 2026.
Better Götzis than gold
The triumph in Vorarlberg's all-around Mecca has a special significance for Ehammer. It can be compared to winning the downhill in Kitzbühel or a tennis coup at Wimbledon. Even before the competition, he had declared that a victory in Götzis would mean even more to him than a European Championship title. The event has enjoyed cult status for decathletes for decades. Anyone who enters their name on the list of winners there joins a gallery of the biggest names in all-around sport.
Ehammer competed at the highest level over two days and confirmed that he is now one of the most complete all-around athletes in the world. He scores like no other in his showpiece disciplines and can limit the damage in the weaker events such as the shot put, discus, javelin and 1500m.
What next?
Ehammer and his entourage have yet to answer one question. He leads the annual world best list in the decathlon and long jump, but he has to make a decision for the European Championships in Birmingham. "Götzis didn't make it any easier for me," says the athlete. He doesn't want to make a decision until after a training camp in Los Angeles, which is now coming up.
While Ehammer is leaving his plans for the European Championships open, Annik Kälin has already made her decision. The 26-year-old from Graubünden impressively underlined in Götzis that her focus in the summer will be on the heptathlon. With 6726 points, the woman from Landquart became the first Swiss woman ever to win the traditional meeting, snatching the premiere away from Ehammer, who an hour later became the first Swiss to triumph in the 51st edition.
After finishing fourth at the Olympic Games in Paris, Annik Kälin is now one of the world's top all-around athletes. With her record-breaking performance in Vorarlberg, she confirmed that she can compete for international medals. She also has the long jump option. But with a performance like the one in Götzis, the heptathlete would be sure of a European Championship medal in Birmingham, while the field of medal contenders in the long jump is wider.
