Photo: Archivo/RHC

Havana, November 22 (RHC)-- Cuban Mijaín López remains at the top of the Prensa Latina Sports Poll as the best male athlete in Latin America in 2021 after receiving votes from two national media outlets on Monday.

Lopez, who won his fourth gold medal in Tokyo in the Greco-Roman super heavyweight, won the votes of Granma newspaper and Telecentro Telecubanacan, from Villa Clara province.

With these two votes, the native of Pinar del Río province leads the poll with 13 units, far ahead of his compatriot and boxer Andy Cruz and Argentina's soccer star Lionel Messi, both with two.

Behind the trio are Cuban boxer Julio César la Cruz and Ecuadorian cyclist Richard Carapaz, both with one vote in their favor.

Meanwhile, in the women's sector, the Cuban newspaper chose the world record holder and Tokyo 2020 Olympian in triple jump, Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas, who leads the poll, with 17 credits.

Behind Rojas are Dominican sprinter Marileidy Paulino, Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade and Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson, all with one vote.

Thompson got the vote of Telecubanacán to make the list, in which Argentina's soccer team leads by collectives, winner of the quota granted by Telecubanacán and Granma, respectively.

Thus, the Albiceleste team totals 11 cards as the best team in Latin America, ahead of the Cuban canoeing duo of Fernando Jorge and Serguey Torres, winner of the 1,000-meter C-2 in Tokyo, which has three.

Behind with two units are the Cuban boxing team and the Brazilian women's volleyball team, while with one is the Colombian tennis duo.

The 57th edition of the Sports Poll will close its voting process on December 17 and three days later, the winners in each of the categories will be announced at a press conference.