“Wasserläufer”: Robert Michael wins the Sven-Simon-Award for Sports Photo of the Year 2025

Selection by a jury together with sports activities greats resembling FIFA World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger and NHL famous person Leon Draisaitl

The Sven-Simon-Award introduced by WELT AM SONNTAG for “Sports Photo of the Year 2025” goes to Dresden-based photographer Robert Michael. He wins Germany’s highest-endowed sports activities images prize, value 10,000 euros, together with his picture “Wasserläufer.” The {photograph} reveals triathlete Robert Gould of TV 1848 Erlangen on the “Finals” final July in Dresden. In Robert Michael’s picture, it seems as if the athlete is operating throughout the River Elbe.

Robert Michael: “Winning the Sven-Simon-Award has always been a big dream of mine. So far, I have repeatedly fallen short. I participated every year. The fact that it has now been enough to win is simply indescribable.”

Jury chairman Axel Sven Springer: “The Water Runner captures a perfect moment and demonstrates the magic that lies in great sports photography. For me as well, it was the most striking image among a group of outstanding final photographs.”

Second place goes to Tilo Wiedensohler. His picture “Hoch und quer” reveals Berlin basketball participant Justin Bean hanging horizontally from the rim throughout a Champions League sport in opposition to Czech membership ERA Nymburk.

Third place is awarded to Mika Volkmann for his {photograph} “A Heartbeat in Stone.” It reveals Italian cliff diver Marco Ghioni on the International Cliff Diving Championship in Ticino, Switzerland, leaping from a 20-meter cliff.

Sports stars chosen the winner

As in earlier years, the winners had been chosen by a distinguished jury of outstanding sports activities personalities: Franziska van Almsick, Katarina Witt, Martin Kaymer, Heiner Brand, Birgit Fischer, Maria Höfl-Riesch, Stefan Blöcher, Natalie Geisenberger, Manuel Neuer, Malaika Mihambo, Felix Neureuther and Bastian Schweinsteiger are members of the jury. New this 12 months: NHL famous person Leon Draisaitl, who was the highest scorer of the 2025 NHL playoffs, an NHL All-Star in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and Germany’s Sportsman of the Year in 2020. The jury is chaired by Axel Sven Springer. As at all times, the jury’s votes had been revealed in WELT AM SONNTAG and on welt.de to make sure transparency.

The award ceremony for Robert Michael will happen on March 4, 2026, on the German Football Museum in Dortmund. An exhibition devoted to the Sven-Simon-Award will open there, presenting all 81 beforehand honored sports activities pictures in digital type till March 15, 2026. A 1,000-square-meter exhibition area will likely be reworked into a formidable visible setting that includes large-scale screens.

About the Sven-Simon-Award

The Sven-Simon-Award, endowed with 10,000 Euros, is Germany’s most extremely endowed prize for sports activities images and is introduced yearly in reminiscence of Axel Springer Jr., the eldest son of writer Axel Springer. Under the pseudonym Sven Simon, he was knowledgeable photographer who received quite a few prestigious awards and achieved worldwide recognition. In January 1980, the previous editor-in-chief of WELT AM SONNTAG handed away on the age of 38. To honor his reminiscence, WELT AM SONNTAG established the Sven-Simon-Award, which has been introduced since 1999 for the very best sports activities pictures of the 12 months.