Mikel Oyarzabal and Martin Zubimendi, the best of the year

In the year of the historic achievement of the Copa por la Real, it had to be a Txuri-urdin footballer who won the award for Best Gipuzkoan Athlete of the year awarded by the Gipuzkoa Sports Press Association. Finally there were two ex aequo, Mikel Oyarzabal, author of the victory goal, and Martin Zubimendi. And it is that both achieved, in addition to the cup tournament, the Olympic silver in Tokyo with the soccer team. Lasartearra canoeist Maialen Chourraut, silver also in the Olympic event and the only Gipuzkoan athlete with three medals in three Games, the handball player, Julen Aginagalde, who obtained the bronze in Tokyo, the Manista champion Jokin Altuna or Iñigo Llopis, a medalist. Paralympic, among others, who could not attend.

The royalists were the main winners this Tuesday at the traditional gala of the Guipuzcoan Sports Press Association, held at the Donostia Aquarium between important restrictions due to the pandemic and sponsored by Banco Sabadell. Neither Oyarzabal nor Zubimendi attended the event due to the ten positive cases registered in the realistic squad on Monday, which have led the club to restrict the players’ public appearances. At least, after last year’s suspension for health reasons, this year the gala has been resumed, with great difficulties but with all kinds of security measures, as highlighted by Tito Irazusta, president of the association.

Oyarzabal and Zubimendi took the majority of the votes. This time the association changed the usual rule, which obliges the winner to be present, due to exceptional circumstances. In addition to the two footballers, Real won the award for the best club for its great year crowned with the Cup title. Vice-president Mikel Ubarretxena attended on behalf of the entity to collect all the awards.

Other winners were Barça footballer Irene Paredes, who won the Provincial Council Trophy after being French League champion with PSG and nominated by UEFA for best European defense. He was already the best Gipuzkoan athlete two editions ago, in 2018. The San Sebastián City Council Trophy was received by Super Amara Bera Bera, after winning the Handball League for the seventh time. They were joined by the mountain runner Maite Maiora, ISF Ultra Skyrunning world champion of 68 km, Marta Lizarraga and Olatz Muñoz, J80 sailing world champions; Oihana Kortazar, runner-up in the world of the vertical kilometer and Sky marathon of 42 km; Joan Crespo and Begoña Lazkano (Canoeing), Lide and Amaia Erbina (Rugby), Ioritz Mendizabal (Hockey), Nahia Zudaire (Swimming), Odei Jainaga (Athletics), Clara Azurmendi (Badminton) and Gorka Izagirre (Cycling) or the club de Rowing Donostia Arraun Lagunak. There was a special mention for the Real Club Náutico de San Sebastián for its 125th anniversary.