The UPCX Breakout Athlete Award, determined directly through fan voting, recognises the standout performances of athletes throughout the 2024 World Aquatics swimming season.
The 17th edition of the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) brought fans closer to the action than ever. One way was through the UPCX Breakout Athlete Award.
At the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) – Budapest 2024, fans played a key role in celebrating rising talent by voting for the male and female UPCX Breakout Athletes of the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming season. From 10-14 December, fans cast their votes on the UPCX Fan Engagement App for shortlisted athletes who delivered standout or breakthrough performances at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2024 or the Championships in Budapest.
After the votes were tallied, two athletes who shone their brightest at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) captured the digital fan engagement initiative powered by UPCX's industry-leading blockchain technology. These were Switzerland's Noe Ponti and Canada’s Mary-Sophie Harvey.
Noe Ponti first made a name for himself on the international swimming scene three years ago at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where he won bronze in the Men's 200m Butterfly. However, it was in the second half of 2024 when the man from Ticino, Switzerland, rocked the swimming world.
First came the Swimming World Cup, where he picked up seven wins across the three tour stops in Shanghai, Incheon and Singapore. He carried this momentum and then some into the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest where his performances stood above and beyond any other man in the field, winning golds in the 50m and 100m Butterfly and the 100m Individual Medley while setting three World Records.
"I will never say before a final what my plan is. I don’t want to talk too much and too early; my race should speak for itself,” Ponti said after setting his third World Record and winning his third World gold in a week.
By walking away with the Best Male Swimmer and the UPCX Breakout Male Swimmer of the Year awards in Budapest, his swimming did plenty of talking in the Hungarian capital.
For Harvey, 2024 was a transformative year, highlighted by her success in Budapest, recognition as the UPCX Breakout Athlete, and journey to the Paris 2024 Games.
After accepting her award ahead of Sunday night’s finals on the sixth and final day of racing in the Hungarian capital, Harvey went on to earn silver in the Women’s 200m Freestyle, her best individual performance at a global championship.
"In 2023, I didn’t even make the semi-finals at the World Championships in long course. A year later, to finish fourth at the Olympics and come away tonight with a silver medal—this is something I’ve dreamed of for as long as I can remember. Achieving that at 25 just shows that you can have your breakout meet at any age.
"I hope it inspires athletes who might not be the best in the world at 15 or 16 to know they can still achieve their goals later in life," added Harvey. "I may be 25, but I still feel young at heart, and I’m excited for the future. Let’s see where it goes!"