The Madrid judoka Fran Garrigós received the award this Friday for best athlete of the year in the men’s category after a year full of triumphs, including his first world gold and several international medals. In the female category, the canoeists Antía Jácome and María Corbera were awarded the same prize.
The XVIII Gala of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) recognized this Friday the most successful national athletes of 2023 and also other figures for their career, highlighting among the winners the Spanish women’s soccer team, the weightlifter Lydia Valentín and karateka Damián Quinteroalong with more key names on the current scene and which made up a total of 20 award-winning categories.
The president of the COE Blanco highlighted how “a true privilege to celebrate the successes of athletes” on an annual basis. “Sport is a living phenomenon so changing over time that its true protagonists, the athletes, are the ones who give us our identity,” he stressed.
«Today we have rewarded history. Their successes have shown us that the important thing is the journey. Success is the sum of small efforts that are repeated every day. You are bold people and blessed is the madness you have because you have shown us mortals that when we believe in what is possible you dream of the impossible,” Blanco added.
«I have been reflecting for days on what the Olympic movement can do for our country. Our country cries out to revive the values that define us, the passion and pride of feeling Spanish,” said the president of the COE before ending his speech, extending a hand to Minister Alegría to work together.
«We will talk about the model of sport, education and sport to achieve the total expression of sport in our country. Very soon we will have the Paris Games. We will share emotions and praise the Spanish Olympic movement. When they are finished we will be able to say that, beyond the results, our athletes have achieved excellence, the excellence of things well done,” he added.
The women’s soccer team, awarded
As for the awards themselves, in the women’s category of Best Team the soccer team shone, which last summer won the first World Cup in its history under the direction of Jorge Vilda and is now going from strength to strength with the new coach, Montse Tomé.
The Special COE award, in the men’s field, was given to Real Madrid basketball player Rudy Fernández, a player with the most appearances for the national team (255) and who hopes that Spain will do a good job during the Pre-Olympic and, come the case, in Paris 2024.
For her part, the former weightlifter Lydia Valentín was awarded in the female category in the Sports Career category. She was Olympic champion in London 2012, she has an enviable track record and has currently been retired for more than a year.
The award for Best Athlete of the Year went to Fran Garrigós in the men’s field, world champion and two-time European champion, while in the women’s section the two canoeists Antía Jácome and María Corbera were awarded, both World Cup winners.
The Valores awards were awarded in the female category to the canoeist who is also Teresa Portela, with six Olympic Games behind him and waiting to compete in seventh place in Paris; and in the men’s section she went on stage karateka Damián Quinterohaving won an Olympic runner-up and a world runner-up four times.
In addition, taekwondo player Adrián Vicente won the male Relevant Athlete award, while the female prize went to skier Laia Selles. The cyclist Alejandro Valverde received the Men’s Improvement award and the former tennis player Carla Suárez received the women’s award.
The other awards went to the pilot Ana Carrasco (Female Pioneer Award), the former sailors Alejandro Abascal and Miguel Noguer (Male Pioneer Award) and the former athlete ‘Chuso’ García Bragado (Best Male Sports Career).
Likewise, the former cyclist Joan Llaneras (Male Legend Athlete), the former swimmer Ona Carbonell (Female Legend Athlete), the Spanish handball team (Best Men’s Team) and the paddler Maialen Chourraut (Female COE Special) were awarded.
Finally, the Heart of Spain was awarded to Lydia Valentín and Teresa Portela themselves, along with Tania Lamarca, Fermín Cacho, Gervasio Deferr, Joan Lino, Marta Mangué and Alberto Fernández, ambassadors of the project to welcome refugees in 25 sports centers.
2023-12-16 10:49:12
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