The Sports Journalists Circle (CPD, for its acronym in Spanish) announced on Monday, December 5th, the best athletes of the 2022 season in 66 conventional and 17 Paralympic categories.
Among the awarded athletes is Alberto Díaz, a national baseball player, who stated “I am enormously proud to have my work recognized in the sport that has given me such beautiful moments. Since it is a collective sport, I hope that this achievement will also motivate my teammates and all those who want to be part of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games in order to give the best for our country.”
In terms of Paralympic sports, one outstanding moment was when Mariana Zuñiga, a 20-year-old archery athlete who became the first Paralympic athlete in the history of the competition to win a medal in the conventional category at the South American Games Asunción 2022, was awarded a prize.
Zúñiga referred to the CPD awards and said that “receiving this award is a huge honor as it is an award for my effort and preparation. I am very thankful. Now, I must face a new learning process to compete in my first Parapan American Games. There is also the possibility of attending the World Para Athletics Championship in the middle of 2023. I want to put all my effort and heart into achieving the best results.”
The Sports Journalists Circle awards, currently chaired by Danilo Díaz, have been held since 1951. This year, the awards ceremony will be carried out next Wednesday, December 21st, at Teatro CorpArtes in Las Condes. The most outstanding athlete of the year will also be recognized with the Best of the Best trophy.
You will find the complete list of winners below:
CONVENTIONAL SPORT
- Chess: Pablo Salinas
- Athletics: Carlos Díaz
- Motor racing: Francisco “Chaleco” López
- Badminton: Alonso Medel
- Handball: Erwin Feuchtmann
- Female Basketball: Fernanda Ovalle
- Male Basketball: Aitor Pickett
- Baseball: Alberto Díaz
- Boccia: Franca Martini
- Bowling: Jesús Borgueaud
- Amateur boxing: Valentina Bustamante
- Male professional Boxing: Andrés Campos
- Female professional boxing: Daniela Asenjo
- Canoe: Marcelo Godoy and Miguel Valencia
- Road cycling: Aranza Villalón
- Track cycling: Cristián Arriagada and Felipe Peñaloza
- Different types of cycling: Martín Vidaurre
- Underwater sports: Rodrigo Pichún
- Fencing: Arantza Inostroza
- Equestrian dressage: Benjamín Fuente-Alba
- Female skiing: Dominique Ohaco
- Male skiing: Henrik Von Appen
- Water skiing: Valentina González
- Amateur Football: Luis Jesús Silva Gaunes
- Female football: Christianne Endler
- Male football: Benjamin Brereton
- Gymnastics: Makarena Pinto
- Golf: Joaquín Niemann
- Weightlifting: Benjamín Torres
- Equestrian: Héctor Berríos
- Female Field Hockey: Claudia Schuler
- Male Field Hockey: Juan Ignacio Amoroso
- Roller hockey: Diego Rojas
- Judo: Mary Dee Vargas
- Karate: Valentina Toro
- Wrestling: Yasmani Acosta
- Motorcycling: Ruy Barbosa
- Sailing: Constanza Olivares
- Swimming: Kristel Köbrich
- Roller speed skating: Emanuelle Silva
- Basque pelota: Magdalena Muñoz and Natalia Bozzo
- Modern pentathlon: Martín Gajardo
- Polo: Felipe Vercellino
- Rodeo: Luis Eduardo Cortés and Alfredo Moreno
- Rowing: Antonia Abraham and Melita Abraham
- Rugby: Rodrigo Fernández
- Softball: Daniela de Oliveira
- Squash: Ana María Pinto and Giselle Delgado
- Surf: Guillermo Satt
- Triathlon: Diego Moya
- Taekwondo: Ignacio Morales
- Male Tennis: Alejandro Tabilo
- Female Tennis: Alexa Guarachi
- Table tennis: Paulina Vega
- Shooting: Anyelo Parada
- Skeet: Francisca Crovetto
- Archery: Alejandro Martin
- Female beach volleyball: Chris Vorphal and Francisca Rivas
- Male beach volleyball: Marco Grimalt and Esteban Grimalt
- Female volleyball: Beatriz Novoa
- Male volleyball: Vicente Parraguirre
- Sporting merit: Chilean rugby XV national team and male and female field hockey national team
- Best coach: Pablo Lemoine and Sergio Vigil
- Promising athlete: Matías González, water skiing
- Former athlete award: Lucy López and Carlos Caszely
- Construye el Deporte award: roller hockey Club San Jorge and Club México
PARALYMPIC SPORT
- Para athletics: Francisca Mardones
- Para badminton: Jaime Aránguiz
- Wheelchair basketball: Luz Carrasco
- Boccia: Germán Calderón
- Para canoe: Katherinne Wollermann
- Para cycling: Adolfo Almarza
- Para alpine skiing: Nicolás Bisquertt
- CP football: Cristian Del Pino
- Blind football: Víctor Hugo Silva
- Goalball: Jennifer Yáñez
- Para swimming: Vicente Almonacid
- Para powerlifting: Camila Campos
- Wheelchair rugby: Jenny Barraza
- Para Taekwondo: Cristian Arce
- Wheelchair tennis: Macarena Cabrillana
- Para table tennis: Luis Flores
- Para archery: Mariana Zúñiga
