Venezuelan triple jump record holder Yulimar Rojas and Argentine football star Lionel Messi have been named the Best Athletes of 2021 in the Americas by AIPS America.
Rojas is the Best Female Athlete for the second time in a row after smashing the triple jump world record with 15.67m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to claim gold. She also won a Diamond League trophy to cap her impeccable season and she came out on top in all nine of her competitions in 2021 and produced five of the top six jumps in history in any condition.
Messi’s player-of-the-tournament performance at the Copa America proved vital in helping Argentina to a major international trophy after nearly three decades, and as a result, he also finally marked another important milestone in his career by winning a first major international title. At the club level, the Argentine also inspired Barcelona to the Copa Del Rey title prior to his move to PSG in the summer and would go on to win the Balon d’Or for the seventh time.
After ending a 28-year drought of major trophies by beating Brazil in Rio’s Maracana stadium to win their 15th Copa America title, Argentina was voted as the Best Team, while the Copa America tournament itself and the World Skating Championship held in Colombia were adjudged to have provided the Best Press Centres.
MOLATsportgist 