Lines Named Among Future Stars Oliver Lines, who has enjoyed promising results and performances during his debut season on the World Snooker Tour, has been named among Eurosports Ten Future Stars for 2015. Eurosports list includes emerging names from the worlds of snooker, athletics, tennis, cycling, football, motorcycling, skiing and swimming, all tipped for major career breakthroughs in the New Year. The global sports broadcasters expert producers and commentators established an impressive track record with their inaugural 2014 Future Stars selection that included Grand Slam tennis finalist and year-ending # 3 ranked player Simona Halep, and Masters golf runner-up Jordan Spieth who are now household names after a game-changing year. To continue its annual series of selecting athletes to watch in the year ahead, Eurosport can today reveal its 10 Future Stars for 2015, in alphabetical order: - Johannes Bø (Norway - Biathlon) - Pol Espargaro (Spain - Motorcycling) - Richard Freitag (Germany - Ski Jumping) - James Guy (Great Britain - Swimming) - Nick Kyrgios (Australia - Tennis) - Morgan Lake (Great Britain - Heptathlon) - Oliver Lines (Great Britain - Snooker) - Leopold König (Czech Republic - Cycling) - Diafra Sakho (Senegal - Football) - Andrew Weibrecht (USA - Alpine Skiing) The selections were made by a panel of Eurosports producers and commentators from across Europe, drawing on years of experience across the broadcasters core sports. They were Stefano Bernabino, Christophe Bureau, David Hendon, Tim Hutchings, Alexandre Pasteur, Simon Reed, Marcos Robledo, François Schlotterer, Sebastian Tiffert and Rémy Tissier. It is very rewarding that so many of the athletes we selected for 2014s Future Stars enjoyed such a successful year. Our editorial team can take a lot of pride from this and it clearly demonstrates the quality of their knowledge across international sport, said Géraldine Fliliol, Eurosports Deputy Managing Director for International Communications, Marketing and External Relations. 2015 is truly a year of champions on Eurosport with 37 World Championships being broadcast on our channels alone. So I am sure our viewers will be seeing some of the 2015 Future Stars on the podium in the coming year as part of Eurosports live coverage, Filiol added. The 2015 selection in detail and alphabetical order are: Biathlete Johannes Bø, 21, who won five races in his debut World Cup season, has been described by biathlon commentator François Schlotterer as the future leader of the Norwegian team. Schlotterer added: He is talented, hard-working, very fast when skiing and from a young age had the chance to train and learn from champions like Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Emil Svendsen and his brother Tarjei. Spanish motorcycle rider Pol Espargaro, 23, finished sixth in his debut MotoGP campaign after winning the Moto2 series in 2013. He finished ahead of his team-mate, Bradley Smith, who is more experienced, MotoGP commentator Rémy Tissier said. He is really strong and I see him making the podium for the first time at a Grand Prix in 2015 and possibly even winning a race. Eurosport presenter and journalist Sebastian Tiffert expects German ski jumper Richard Freitag to bounce back in 2015 after the 23-year-old was dropped for the Sochi Winter Olympics team event, which was won by his country. His three career World Cup wins underline his unquestionable talent, Tiffert said. He even has the potential to win a first World Championship title. British swimmer James Guy, 19, won three gold medals at the 2014 British Championships before claiming bronze at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. I like his technique, swimming commentator Marcos Robledo said. His stroke is really long, which gives him great traction in the water, and in combination with a great leg kick he is a swimmer for the future. Many believe Australian tennis ace Nick Kyrgios, 19, is the most exciting talent to emerge in the mens game for some time, according to tennis commentator Simon Reed. At 6ft 4in (1m 93cm) hes got tremendous physical attributes, Reed said. Hes quick, aggressive and not afraid to try extravagant shots. If he fulfils his potential it will be a thrilling year for mens tennis. Athletics commentator Tim Hutchings reckons 17-year-old heptathlete Morgan Lake is the latest in Britains production line of astonishingly talented multi-event females following the likes of Denise Lewis, Jessica Ennis and Katarina Johnson-Thompson. The powerful Londoner became the youngest ever heptathlon winner and also won gold in the high jump at last summers IAAF World Junior Championships. Briton Oliver Lines, 19, caused shockwaves earlier this year when, in his first season as a professional, he beat snookers world champion Mark Selby in the International Championship and reached the final of the Asian Tours Haining Open. He could really make a name for himself and he seems to have his feet on the ground, snooker commentator David Hendon said. Cyclist Leopold König, 27, from the Czech Republic, finished seventh in the 2014 Tour de France before signing for Team Sky for 2015 and 2016. He is very good all-rounder, a solid time trial rider and an excellent climber, Eurosports deputy editorial director Stefano Bernabino said. Riding with Chris Froome and Richie Porte could help him to step up to a leading role in future seasons. Senegalese footballer Diafra Sakho, 25, has been in superb form for English Premier League club West Ham and could be one of the revelations of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, according to football commentator Christophe Bureau. I have been impressed by his progress since I first saw him at Metz in France, Bureau said. Hes a fast, explosive striker, very skilful and an excellent dribbler. To move so seamlessly from Ligue 2 in France directly into the Premier League shows he is a special talent. Alpine skiing commentator Alexandre Pasteur believes American Andrew Weibrecht can shake up Alpine skiing despite the 28-year-old having only finished in the top 10 of a World Cup race on three occasions. He is a true talent with a fine technique, Pasteur said. He can be amazing on his day as he proved with Olympic medals in Super-G in 2010 and 2014, and I think he can win his first World Championship medal at Beaver Creek in 2015, a course he knows perfectly.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 15:04:10 +0000
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