Bessi and Ibarguen voted best in Latin America-Caribbean
December 23rd, 2011 - 3:29 pm ICT by IANSHavana, Dec 23 (IANS) Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi has been voted the best athlete of the year in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Colombian athlete Catherine Ibarguen is the best female athlete and Uruguay’s national football outfit was given the award for the best team.
The Barcelona star Messi won with 38 votes, leaving behind Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who got 32 votes and Uruguayan soccer player Luis Suarez, with 29 votes, reports Xinhua.
Ibarguen polled 48 votes, 13 more than Brazilian pole vaulter Fabiana Murer and Cuban discus thrower Yarelis Barrios, who was third with 16 votes.
In the team category, Uruguayan soccer team won with 101 votes.
The media poll also chose 10 best athletes and they are: Bolt, Suarez, Murer, Uruguayan soccer player Diego Forlan, Brazilian swimmers Cesar Cielo Filho and Thiago Pereira, Cuban athletes Lazaro Borges and Barrios, Mexican female diver Paola Espinosa and Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake.
- Bolt, Pearson named IAAF athletes of the year - Nov 13, 2011
- Bolt's peerless victory in Zagreb 100 metres - Sep 14, 2011
- James, Bolt in running for World Athlete of the Year award - Oct 04, 2011
- A football package at Goa festival - Nov 27, 2011
- Bolt disqualified for false start in 100m in Daegu; Blake wins - Aug 28, 2011
- World atheletics: Jamaican quartet claim 4x100 relay record - Sep 05, 2011
- World Athletics: 'Disappointed' Bolt now eyes win in 200m - Aug 29, 2011
- British sprinter Malcolm confident of beating Bolt - Aug 26, 2011
- Blake, James win Zurich Diamond League - Sep 09, 2011
- Blake pips Usain Bolt for Jamaica's top athlete award - Dec 10, 2011
- Tired Bolt eyes world-leading time in Brussels - Sep 16, 2011
- Brazilian director dies at IFFI - Nov 27, 2011
- Bolt, Blake make shortlist for Athlete-of-the-Year award - Nov 05, 2011
- Jamaican sprinter Mullings gets lifetime ban for doping offence - Nov 22, 2011
- Indian athletes should do blood tests every month: Johnson - Jul 30, 2011
Tags: argentine soccer star, athlete of the year, barrios, bessi, borges, discus thrower, espinosa, female athlete, female diver, latin america, lionel messi, luis suarez, media poll, pole vaulter, soccer player, soccer team, team category, thiago pereira, usain bolt, xinhua