The 2024 Sportel Awards celebrated the year’s most inspiring sporting stories last night at the Grimaldi Forum’s Prince Pierre Room….

Among the top honours, the award for Best Biopic was presented to Marie-Jo, a moving Canal+ documentary on the legendary French sprinter Marie-José Pérec, who clinched three Olympic titles during her illustrious career.

Hosted by Marc Maury and attended by top athletes, the event celebrated courage, resilience, and sporting spirit. “Our champions embody courage, perseverance, and excellence, qualities that the Sportel Awards is proud to celebrate,” said Laurent Puons, Sportel’s general manager. Laure Flessel-Colovic, fencing icon and jury chair, helped present the night’s awards, which spanned a range of categories.

Among the evening’s standout wins was the Best Docu-Series award to Handball, capturing the shared legacy of the handball community, while A corps perdus – Aiming for Glory took Best Thematic Documentary for its powerful portrayal of athletes’ struggles. MotoGP’s high-speed excitement was also honoured, taking the Best Slow-Motion award.

The Jury’s Special Prize went to Andrea by Maxime Moulin and Arise Athletes of the Fatherland! Olympics 2024 won the Christian Blachas advertising prize. Espoirs, a collaborative effort by Sacha Chelli, Nicolas Jambou, and Jean Verdon, took home the Peace and Sport documentary award for its dedication to promoting peace through sports.

Closing the night with a nod to iconic achievements, Louis Ducruet presented the Legend Award to handball star Nikola Karabatic, whose multiple Olympic and world titles have cemented his status in sports history. This celebratory event highlighted not only extraordinary athletic feats but also the power of storytelling to inspire future generations.

Image: © Stéphane Danna – Direction de la Communication