Olimpia Award

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The Olimpia Award is the most important sport award in Argentina, given every year by the Argentine Sports Journalists' Circle since 1954.

An Olimpia de Plata (Silver Olimpia) is awarded to one of the candidates of each one of the 41 sports disciplines. Among the Silver winners an Olimpia de Oro (Golden Olimpia) is awarded to the most important sports-person of the year.

The current categories are: chess, athletics, auto racing, basketball, baseball, billiards, bocce, boxing, cestoball, cycling, equestrianism, fencing, football (soccer), futsal, gymnastics, golf, handball, field hockey, rink hockey, judo, kayaking, motorcycling, motorboating, paddle, rowing, skating, skiing, swimming, pato, pelota, rugby, softball, squash, taekwondo, tennis, table tennis, shooting, turf, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and yachting.

The football Olimpia is considered the official Player of the Year of Argentina, though it also includes foreign footballers playing in Argentina.

[edit] History

The first Golden Olimpia award was given to Juan Manuel Fangio in 1954 in the Luna Park stadium, and the first woman to receive it was tennis player Norma Baylon in 1962, who reached that year the 8th position in the ATP ranking. Other women to win the Olimpia de Oro were tennis player Gabriela Sabatini in 1987 and 1988, roller skaters Nora Vega in 1995 and Andrea González in 1998, and field hockey player Cecilia Rognoni in 2000.

Boxer Santos Benigno Laciar is the only person to receive 3 consecutive Golden Olimpias in 1982, 1983 and 1984, by conquering and retained the world flyweight title. Tennis player Guillermo Vilas also received 3 golden awards, in 1974, 1975 and 1977. Four have received 2 Olimpias de Oro: golfer Roberto de Vicenzo in 1967 and 1970, rower Alberto Demiddi in 1969 and 1971, Gabriela Sabatini in 1987 and 1988, and Diego Maradona in 1979 and 1986.

The only Olimpia de Platino (Platinum Olimpia) was awarded at the end of the 20th century to Diego Maradona, as the best sports-person of the century.

The award consists of a 37-cm-high metallic statue designed by sculptor Mario Chiérico.