The Madrid City Hall, in front of the Cybele statue and a few meters from the Puerta de Alcalá, became the Hollywood of sports for a few hours on Monday afternoon. The brightest stars of all disciplines gathered at the Laureus Awards gala, presented by Cuban actor Andy García, who the night before had taken advantage of the classic dispute at the Santiago Bernabéu to be seen in the white box of honor, where Florentino Pérez served as master of ceremonies. Rafa Nadal, who celebrated in style the Bellingham goal that gave the whites the victory, Novak Djokovic and Tom Brady, the multi-champion NFL quarterback, were also seen in the white coliseum.
Spanish women’s sport
The Laureus awards were in their 24th edition and they chose Madrid for this, a Madrid governed by this Cibeles empowered by the successes of the women’s sport in Spain with a women’s soccer team that not only won the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, it also conquered unsuspected spaces for women’s sports. The breaking of the glass ceiling and its fight against the machismo inherent in the shabby mechanisms of our sport deserved to be praised and holding this edition in Madrid was perhaps the best way. Even beyond the awards, which were also won both as a choir and as an individual.
A red carpet that captured the attention of half the world in the last four days. Journalists from Japan, Costa Rica and South Africa have been hovering around the entrance hall of Madrid City Hall since Saturday afternoon. Garbiñe Muguruza He broke the ice by announcing his definitive retirement from tennis with a huge smile on his face. The baton was picked up by Martina Navratilova, Boris Becker, Nadia Comanenci, the endearing Hugo Porta, Ruud Gullit and Cafu, who were seen in the interview area on Sunday before the Classic.
Monday morning began polarized by the attention of the most ‘football’ media that gathered attracted by a press conference on the Euro Cup that starts in Germany in June with the presence of Alessandro del Piero, Fabio Capello, Ruud Gullit, Marcel Desailly and Raúl González Blanco. Precisely the latter, whose future as Castilla coach is up in the air, although he has another year on his contract, cleared up some questions about it. ““I have come here to talk about the Euro Cup, not about me,” He settled with his usual seriousness. Spain attended these Laureus 2024 with four nominations: Aitana Bonmati (best athlete), Salma Paralluelo (revelation athlete), the Spanish women’s soccer team (best team) and the Rafa Nadal Foundation (Sport for Good).
The Red carpet
As the afternoon progressed, the athletes began to arrive, producing an agglomeration of sports stars like never before seen in the capital. Black and the classic tuxedo predominated, but many outfits included sports shoes, immaculately white, to give a casual touch to the event. The legendary Michael Johnson was one of the early risers, like an effusive Boris Becker. The sun was grateful for a fresh breeze that caused more than one shiver among those who left their backs exposed in their dresses. Amaya Valdemoro did not leave any fan without a signature or selfie while Gullit cheered for the Champions League and pointed to Bayern as the favorite!
A discreet Miguel Indurain opted for a navy blue suit while Fabio Capello did so for a pinstriped one, which he gave a little joy with a more colorful tie. Garbiñe, one of the most applauded at the entrance to the carpet, appeared radiant in a purple dress adorned with flowers with her partner, businessman Arthur Borges. Skier Michaela Shiffrin also attracted attention, with a long dress finished with glitter that further highlighted her figure. Nadia Comaneci, who arrived accompanied by hurdler Edwin Moses, opted for a rocker-cut jacket. Nieves Álvarez had plenty of boards on the red carpet posing, the same ones that Jorge Martínez ‘Aspar’ was missing, who turned on the gas and went through it in a flash.
Bellingham appeared and revolutionized the children waiting at the doors of City Hall. He coincided with the always nice Usain Bolt, whom he eclipsed. Then they chatted animatedly on the carpet and even took a photo, composing one of the images of the night, the gesture celebrating Jude’s goals. Butragueño and Tom Brady also met at the entrance signing autographs, another impossible couple, and the Vulture greeted him because they had seen each other at the classic in the Bernabéu box.
The time for the start of the gala was approaching and the heavyweights were beginning to arrive: Aitana and Salma, Carlos Alcaraz with Juanqui Ferrero, Simeone and De Paul, Nole Djokovic, Ivana Andrés and Montse Tomé, the mayor and his wife, the president of the Community (alone), Marc Márquez, Rafa Nadal and his wife… The most acclaimed, Nadal, Bellingham and Ayuso. And among the curiosities of the carpet, Dortmund forward Sebastien Haller crossed paths again with the Atlético players De Paul and Simeone days after eliminating them in the Champions League, and Nadal, Djokovic and Alcaraz met again on it.
The 450 accredited journalists who packed the improvised press center of this Palacio de la Cibeles enjoyed some gildas, a tartare and some other local delicacies while the awards ceremony was held in the gallery, where Isabel Díaz Ayuso had Florentino Pérez sitting at her table to her right.
Florentino Pérez with Isabel Díaz Ayuso, during the gala. /Laureus
The award ceremony began with Aitana, who won the award for best athlete of the year, which she collected from the hands of Usain Bolt. The inimitable Patrice Evra, with his red glass glasses and purple tuxedo, matching Nike Jordans of the same color, presented the award to the action athlete, the Australian skater Arisa Trew. All Black Sean Fitzpatrick, a rugby legend, presented the award ‘Sport for Good’ to one of the 300 programs that were registered among the candidates. The prize went to the Rafa Nadal Foundation, founded in 2010 that has projects in India and Spain. Raúl and Emilio Butragueño gave him the award, so everything was between Real Madrid fans. Continuing with the Spanish prominence, Carlos Alcaraz and Marc Márquez presented the award for the revelation athlete of the year to Jude Bellingham. Garbiñe Muguruza presented, together with Ruud Gullit, the award for the athlete with a disability, which was won by tennis player Diede de Groot. Simone Biles won comeback of the year and finally the Spanish soccer team won the award for best team of the year, an award that was presented by the tennis player Martina Navratilova and the soccer player Alessandro del Piero. Thus crowning a gala with a clear Spanish and feminine flavor before the majestic presence of the goddess Cybele.
2024-04-22 19:22:27
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