The Olimpia Awards (Spanish: Premios Olimpia) are Argentine sports awards given annually by the Círculo de Periodistas Deportivos (Association of Sports Journalists) since 1954. An Olimpia de Plata (Silver Olimpia) is awarded to the outstanding performer in 41 sports. Among the Olimpia de Plata winners an Olimpia de Oro (Golden Olimpia) is awarded to the most important sportsperson of the year. Each trophy consists of a statue designed by sculptor Mario Chiérico.
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History
The first Olimpia de Oro was given to the racing car driver Juan Manuel Fangio on 3 December 1954 at the Luna Park stadium in Buenos Aires, and the first woman to receive the award was the tennis player Norma Baylon in 1962. Other women to win the Olimpia de Oro individually were the tennis player Gabriela Sabatini in 1987 and 1988, the roller skaters Nora Vega in 1995 and Andrea Noemí González in 1998, the field hockey players Cecilia Rognoni in 2002 and Luciana Aymar in 2010 and the judoka Paula Pareto in 2015. The women's national field hockey team, known in Argentina as Las Leonas, won the award collectively in 2000, becoming the only team so honored to date.
The boxer Santos Laciar is the only person to receive 3 consecutive Olimpias de Oro, in 1982, 1983 and 1984, due to his conquering and retaining of the world flyweight title. The tennis player Guillermo Vilas also received 3 Olimpias de Oro, in 1974, 1975 and 1977. The only other people with consecutive Olimpias de Oro are Gabriela Sabatini and the basketball player Emanuel Ginóbili, who won the award by himself in 2003 and shared it in 2004. Four others have received 2 Olimpias de Oro: the golfer Roberto De Vicenzo in 1967 and 1970, the rower Alberto Demiddi in 1969 and 1971, Diego Maradona in 1979 and 1986 and Cecilia Rognoni and Luciana Aymar as a member of Las Leonas in 2000 and separately in 2002 and 2010.
The Olimpia de Oro has only been shared twice in its history: in 2004, when Emanuel Ginóbili shared the honor with association football player Carlos Tevez and in 2008, when the award was bestowed on cyclists Juan Curuchet and Walter Pérez. The only Olimpia de Platino (Platinum Olimpia) was awarded at the end of the 20th century to Maradona as "the best sportsperson of the century".
Olimpia de Plata categories
The Olimpia de Plata is awarded to the outstanding performer in each of the following sports: