Havana, December 6 (PL) - Venezuelan triple jumper Yulimar Rojas took the lead in the Prensa Latina poll to choose the best Latin American athlete of 2023.

Rojas, champion and world record holder in her specialty, received in the last hours the votes of the Salvadoran newspapers El Mundo and Co Latino, and thus took the lead in the women's voting with four votes.

Among the men, it is the Cuban wrestler Luis Orta who is in the lead, with the support of El Mundo and the digital newspaper Jit, of the Cuban Institute of Sports.

The reigning king of the world in the 67-kilogram Greco-Roman style division thus reached three ballots, the only male athlete with more than one.

Co Latino chose soccer player Lionel Messi in that category, and Jit chose Dominican runner Marisleydis Paulino among the ladies, who thus obtained her first rayita.

The three media had different opinions as to the best team of the campaign, as El Mundo gave its support to the Fluminense club (Brazil), Co Latino to Argentina's national team and Jit to Mexico's, all of them soccer teams.

For the moment, the Brazilian team, champion of the Copa Libertadores, is in the lead with three preferences.

The 59th edition of the traditional Prensa Latina Sports Poll, to choose the best athletes and teams in Latin America and the Caribbean in the 2023 season, will be open until December 21, and one day later the results will be announced from its headquarters.