The early favorites fell out one by one. Pole vault star Armand Duplantis, cross-country skier Ebba Andersson and last year's winner Truls Möregårdh did not make it into the top five.
In the end, it all came down to Jonna Sundling and the Allsvenskan champions Mjällby.
There, Sundling pulled the longest straw and took home Radiosporten's Jerring Prize, which was voted on by the Swedish people.
This feels a lot like winning a sprint at the World Championships in Trondheim, just as big, she says.
Won everything
The cross-country star had a fantastic year last year, with the 2025 World Ski Championships in Norway as the biggest highlight.
There, the Swedish women's national team swept the competition: six out of six possible gold medals. Sundling won three gold medals, including one in the relay.
"A big thank you to the Swedish people who voted for me tonight, a big thank you to the national team, my coaches, all the clubs I have represented over the years, my family. Above all, thank you to my mother and father. They have meant everything to me," she says.
During last season's World Cup, Sundling took three victories and three more podiums. In this season's World Cup, she has taken three victories so far.
The promise for the Olympics
Sundling did not attend the gala, where she also received the award for female athlete of the year. Instead, she received her award via a link from Seiser Alm in Italy, where she is training for the Olympics.
The 31-year-old is one of Sweden's biggest hopes for gold ahead of the Winter Games in Italy and took the opportunity to send a greeting to the Swedish people.
I will do everything I can to defend the blue and yellow colors at the Olympics in Milan and Cortina. I feel very proud. Once again, thank you very much.
The award was presented by Radiosporten's Bengt Skött and Prince Carl Philip.
Sundling received a whopping 214,832 votes compared to Mjällby's 110,591. Third in the vote was discus thrower Daniel Ståhl with 56,726 votes.
Corrected version: In an earlier version of the text, the wrong country was stated regarding Seiser Alm.
Born: December 28, 1994 in Umeå.
Club: Piteå.
Main achievements: World Championships 2025; gold in sprint, sprint relay, relay and bronze in skiathlon. World Championships 2023; gold in sprint and sprint relay. Olympics 2022; gold in sprint, silver in sprint relay, bronze in relay. World Championships 2021; gold in sprint and sprint relay.
Current: Awarded the Jerring Prize in 2025 - and is chasing new medals in the Olympics in Italy in February.
2025: Jonna Sundling, cross-country skiing.
2024: Truls Möregårdh, table tennis.
2023: Ebba Andersson, cross-country skiing.
2022: Nils Svensson (formerly van der Poel), speed skating.
2021: National Show Jumping Team (Henrik von Eckermann, Malin Baryard Johnsson and Peder Fredricson), equestrian.
2020: Armand Duplantis, athletics.
2019: Tove Alexandersson, orienteering.
2018: Hanna Öberg, biathlon.
2017: Peder Fredricson, equestrian.
2016: Peder Fredricson, equestrian.
