Brigitte Sleeking of the Netherlands and Gergo Zalanki of Hungary have been named as World Aquatics' Water Polo Athletes of the Year for 2023. Both athletes were selected from their respective championship-winning teams from the World Aquatics Championships - Fukuoka 2023 last July.
The prize-giving ceremony took place at the Aspire Dome immediately following their classification and placement match at the World Aquatics Championships Doha 2024. In addition to the 2023 top athlete title, the winners of each award will receive USD 10,000.
After being named the Women’s Water Polo Athlete of the Year, Brigitte Sleeking expressed her happiness to World Aquatics: “I'm really proud of the award. It's a big honor to receive this trophy.” She continued, “But most of all, I'm really proud of my team. Without them, we wouldn't be where we are right now, and I wouldn't be the player I am today. Winning the world championships was a significant success, and I can't wait to begin the journey with them towards the Olympics this summer.
The Dutch women’s water polo team won the World Championships in Fukuoka last year for the first time in 32 years. Throughout the history of the World Championships, the Dutch national team has showcased remarkable performances, securing the gold medal in 1991, four silver medals in 1986, 1994, 1998, and 2015, and a bronze medal in 2022 before reclaiming the world title after 32 years.
“It was a big moment for us. After the Tokyo Olympics, we changed a lot. We worked really hard to get there. And it was proof that we were on a good way and to win the World Championships was a big dream for all of us. I'm really proud of everyone from the team, the staff and all.” said Sleeking.
The 25-year-old Dutch water polo player has achieved a significant amount of success throughout her career with the Dutch national team, and the last couple of years have been particularly remarkable. In Fukuoka, Sleeking scored 13 goals throughout the championships and scored the most for the Netherlands in the tournament rounds, recording a hat trick in the final against Spain to claim the title. Besides her outstanding performance in Fukuoka, the Dutch women’s team won a silver medal at the World Cup in Long Beach last year. Over the years, she has contributed to accolades such as a gold medal at the European Championship in 2018 and a bronze medal at the World Championships in Budapest in 2022.
When asked how she would spend the prize money, she said, “I don't know yet. I have to think about it. I didn't realize it was that much money. So, let's see,” with a full smile. She then shared their aim for this season: “Next, we're going to prepare for the Olympics. That's our main goal for this season, and I can't wait to be in Paris.”
The Men’s Water Polo Athlete of the Year award went to Gergo Zalanki. Hungary reclaimed the World title in Fukuoka after a decade since Barcelona 2013. Zalanki played a crucial role throughout the tournament, scoring 19 goals and was awarded the Most Valuable Player of the Championships.
“Last year was really amazing; I won everything that I could. It was my best year,” he reflected on the successful year of 2023.
“We played really, really well with Pro Recco in the Champions League Final Eight. We won our games by 3 or 4 goals and played at the highest level. It was an amazing feeling,” he added. “At the World Championship as well, the way we played in Fukuoka was really amazing. The whole team was on fire; everybody just wanted to win more than the team against us, and that was our secret.”
The Hungarian men’s water polo team has been in a strong position for the past decade, achieving remarkable feats including a silver medal at the World Championships in their home Budapest in 2017 and a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. As the Hungarian team has matured, Zalanki has emerged as a key figure within the squad. For him, the award has invaluable meaning.
“It's extremely important because the names of those who received this award before me are among the greatest of all time. My name next to them means so much to me,” he continued. “They are my idols, so it's an honor to be part of this group of athletes who have received this recognition. It was my dream to be the best player, which is why I started playing and trained so hard. I accomplished this, it's a very good feeling.”
With the two individual titles, being awarded the MVP in Fukuoka and receiving the Athlete of the Year for 2023, Zalanki’s career is reaching maturity. Although Hungary couldn’t retain the championship title here in Doha, his focus is now on Paris this summer.
“I see that I need to do more to stay on the top. Now we are already not on the top so it's disappointing. But we can do better at the Olympics.”