Karen Palomeque and Douglas Matera win Panam Sports Awards

Colombia’s Karen Palomeque and Brazil’s Douglas Rocha Matera were among the winners of the 2023 Panam Sports Awards held in Miami, United States on Saturday (9 December).

The Colombian was elected the Best Female Athlete of the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games following her five gold medals in Para athletics. Palomeque won the women's 100m T37, 200m T37, 400m T38, long jump T36/37/38 and the universal 4x100m relay in the Chilean capital.

Matera received his award as Best Male Athlete of the Santiago 2023 Parapan Am Games for his eight gold medals in eight Para swimming events. The Brazilian attended the Gala in USA.

“I wanted to dedicate this award to my wife Mariana Ramoa. She has been an incredible partner since I joined the Paralympic Movement. She also deserves all the credit for sharing this entire journey with me,” Matera said.

The best athletes from across the Americas arrived in Miami dressed to impress, as more than 70 athletes from the 41 nations of the Panam American Family walked the red carpet at an evening rivaling those seen in Hollywood.

Produced by Panam Sports in collaboration with BCC and Chilevision and live-streamed throughout the world on the Panam Sports Channel, the athletes were treated to the full gala experience.

After a month-long public competition that sparked fierce rivalries between some of the greatest athletes of the Americas, sport fans from across the continent voted for their favorite athletes and favorite moments of the Games. Here are the recipients of the 2023 Panam Sports Awards.

Mexican diver Osmar Olvera and Canadian swimmer Maggie Mac Neil were voted, respectively, Best Male and Best Female athlete of the Pan American Games in Santiago.

Other twelve athletes and nations were also awarded at the 2023 Panam Sports Awards. Complete list can be found here.

Best of Asia 

The best athletes from the Hanghzou 2022 Asian Para Games have also been awarded by their achievements recently at the Asian Awards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia held during the Asian Paralympic Committee’s Conference and General Assembly on 27 November. 

Uzbekistan’s Asila Mirzayorova was announced the Best Female Athlete while China’s Para cross-country skier Peng Zheng was the Best Male Athlete at the fourth edition of the Asian Awards. 

Mirzayorova won gold in the women’s long jump T11 at the Para Athletics World Championships in Paris, France, in July and took another gold in the same event just three months later at the Asian Para Games in China, setting a new continental record. She also picked two bronze medals in Hangzhou, in the women’s 200m and 400m T11.

“I wasn’t expecting to get this honour. This is one of my biggest ever achievements so far. My biggest goal is to get the gold medal at Paralympics,” said the 24-year-old who finished with a silver at Tokyo 2020.

Complete list of winners of the Asian Awards is available here.