Trio of Dutch Stars Up for Top Disabled Athlete in the Netherlands

Winners to be selected by nine member jury. 02 Dec 2011

Sailor Thierry Schmitter and Wheelchair Tennis stars Esther Vergeer and Maikel Scheffers have been nominated for the Netherlands’ Disabled Athlete of the Year for 2011.

The winner will be announced on 12 December at the NOS Sports Gala hosted by the Netherlands’ Paralympic Committee (NPC Netherlands).

As for the finalists, Schmitter captured the Sailing world title in the 2.4mR for the third consecutive year and won the 2010-11 ISAF World Cup. He also won all seven races in his class at the Delta Lloyd Regatta.

At 30 years old, Vergeer won the title in all Grand Slams in 2011 and won both the singles and doubles titles at the Wheelchair Tennis Masters. She went undefeated in singles this year, winning all 33 of her matches, and won 16 of her 17 doubles matches.

Vergeer is 656-25 overall in her singles career and 426-32 overall in doubles. She has been ranked the top women’s singles player in the world since 1999 and has not lost a singles match since January 2003.

Scheffers, ranked second in the world in men’s singles, picked up a singles win at Roland Garros this year and doubles wins at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. He recently finished second in the Wheelchair Tennis Masters Singles tournament.

The winner of the award will be picked by a nine-member jury that consists of former Olympic and Paralympic Chef de Missions, coaches, sport managers and sports writers. The announcement of the winner will be broadcasted on live television.