Cuban wrestler Lopez maintains leadership in Prensa Latina Poll

Havana, November 13 (PL)-- Cuban wrestler Mijaín López, four-time Olympic champion, maintained his leadership in the men's section of the Prensa Latina poll to choose the best athletes of the year in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Lopez, the starter under the five rings of Greco-Roman style for the fourth time in Tokyo 2020, reached five votes when he received the endorsement of Radio Coco radio station.

His compatriot Andy Cruz, winner of his first Olympic boxing crown at the Japanese event in the lightweight and his third universal in Belgrade, seconded the stellar gladiator with two ballots by obtaining the support of the Cuban News Agency (ACN) on Friday.

Then, Cuban boxer Julio César La Cruz, Olympic champion in Tokyo 2020 and winner of his fifth universal crown in the Serbian capital, and Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi, champion of the Copa América Brazil 2021, appear with one ballot.

For Best Female Athlete, the two Cuban media preferred Venezuelan triple jumper Yulimar Rojas, Olympic titleholder in Tokyo 2020 with a world record (15.67 meters), who already has 11 votes.

The 2021 Diamond League champion has so far reached all the preferences in the poll.

For Best Team of the region, the ACN chose the Argentine men's soccer team, gold medalist at the Copa America in Brazil 2021, and La Coco selected the Cuban boxing team, winner of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the Belgrade 2021 World Championship.

In the section of the teams, the Argentine men's soccer squad leads the poll with three votes, followed by the Brazilian women's volleyball team, Olympic silver medalist in the Japanese Games and in the Nations League, which accumulated two votes.

After the pause in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Prensa Latina presented the 57th edition of its Sports Poll, whose voting period will expire on December 17, while the final result will be announced on December 20 at a press conference.

The votes of the different media -radio, television, written and digital press- can be sent (never personally) to the following e-mail address: deportes@prensa-latina.cu.