Romanian teenager David Popovici and Lithuanian comeback-hero Ruta Meilutyte have been named the 2022 LEN Swimmers of the Year, the organization announced.
For the first time, LEN opened up a portion of the vote – 30% – to the public, with 70,000 public votes being claimed. LEN points out that 8,000 votes from Lithuania swung the vote in Meilutyte’s favor, with a final margin in her favor of just 2%.
Jack Laugher of Great Britain claimed his third award in diving while Netherlands’ Sharon van Rouwendaal was the only one to retain her title from 2021. Spain doubled down the water polo awards, Italy also have two recognitions, in diving and in open water, while Ukraine got some positive news in these troubled times, thanks to their artistic swimming great Marta Fiedina.
Courtesy LEN:
The LEN Awards for Europe’s best aquatic athletes were announced in 2008 for the first time, based on the votes of the National Federations. Fifteen years on, the governing body of European Aquatics decided to give the floor to the fans as well – the outcome of the public vote weighed 30% in the overall results.
And it really counted in the race of the shortlisted female swimmers. Lithuanian swimming fans stepped up and their backing was decisive in Ruta Meilutyte’s first-ever LEN Award – their more than 8,000 votes swinged the decision in the returning breaststroke ace’s favour as the gap was only 2%. Meilutyte halted Sarah Sjostrom’s streak of four consecutive victories.
Romania’s David Popovici claimed an overwhelming win among the men – here the LEN voters favoured him heavily while Hungary’s Kristof Milak topped the public polls. Last year saw three individual long-course world records at the men’s majors – not surprisingly, the three WR-beaters also came 1-3 in the ranks. Popovici’s 100m WR in Rome was the real headline in 2022 as he brought down one of the last shiny WRs from 2009 (Milak beat his own mark in the 200m fly and Italy’s Thomas Ceccon stunned many with his 100m back WR).
Spain doubled down the water polo rewards as their national teams enjoyed a great summer: the men became world champions while the women retained their European title. Unai Aguirre was the best goalie at the Worlds and the voters recognised his outstanding contribution – he is the first Spanish man to win the award and the third goalie since 2008. Among the women, the Spaniards are frequent victors, Judith Forca is the third in four years and the seventh on the all-time list.
British diver Jack Laugher is one step closer to tie compatriot Tom Daley’s record of four LEN Awards. Laugher, enjoying another great season with two individual world medals (the only European having achieved that) and two European titles, managed to come first after 2016 and 2018. Among the ladies, Chiara Pellacani is the second Italian being crowned after Tania Cagnotto (who holds the absolute record with 7 awards).
The only athlete to retain her title from 2021 is Sharon van Rouwendaal, in open water swimming. The Dutchwoman amassed a fine set of gold medals last summer and rightfully claimed her fifth recognition after 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2021. As for the men, in wake of the Italians’ absolute dominance this season it may sound surprising that world and European champion Gregorio Paltrinieri is only the second Italian winner ever and the country had to wait 13 years to have a male LEN Award winner in this discipline.
The other Italian winner, Giorgio Minisini is not new in the business, this is his third award after being elected the best one on the first two occasions in artistic swimming. Among the women, Marta Fiedina brought some heart-warming news to her war-ridden Ukraine – the hero of the summer with two world titles and six European golds collected 60% of the votes, similarly high share as Minisini’s 75%.
There was no doubt that the champions of the inaugural European contests should receive the first-ever LEN Awards in high diving: Romania’s Constantin Popovici and Germany’s Iris Schmidbauer topped both polls, the federations’ votes and the public one alike.
The winners’ gallery
Swimming
Men: David Popovici (ROU)
2x World Champion (100m free, 200m free), 2x European Champion (100m free, with World Record, 200m free), s/c World silver medallist (100m free), 3x junior World champion, 4x junior European champion
Women: Ruta Meilutyte (LTU)
World champion (50m breast), World bronze medallist (100m breast), European champion (50m breast), European bronze medallist (100m breast), s/c World Champion (50m breast, with World Record)
Diving
Men: Jack Laugher (GBR)
2x World silver medallist (1m, 3m synchro), World bronze medallist (3m), 2x European Champion (1m, 3m synchro)
Women: Chiara Pellacani (ITA)
World silver medallist (3m mixed synchro), 2x European Champion (3m, Team Event), European silver medallist (3m synchro), 2x European bronze medallist (1m, 3m mixed synchro)
Artistic swimming
Men: Giorgio Minisini (ITA)
2x World Champion (mixed duet free, mixed duet technical), 4x European Champion (solo free, solo technical, mixed duet free, mixed duet technical)
Women: Marta Fiedina (UKR)
2x World Champion (free combination, highlight routine), 3x World silver medallist (solo free, solo technical, team free), 6x European Champion (solo free, solo technical, team free, team technical, free combination, highlight routine)
Open water swimming
Men: Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA)
World Champion (10km), World silver medallist (5km), World bronze medallist (Relay), 2x European Champion (5km, Team), World Series overall winner (winner of 3 legs)
Women: Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED)
World Champion (10km), World bronze medallist (25km), European Champion (5km), World Series overall runner-up
Water polo
Men: Unai Aguirre (ESP)
World Champion, Best goalkeeper of the World Championships, European bronze medallist, World League bronze medallist
Women: Judith Forca (ESP)
World Championship 5th, Top scorer of the World Championship, European champion, World League winner, Euro League runner-up (w/Sabadell)
High diving
Men: Constantin Popovici (ROU)
European Champion, 5th overall in cliff diving World Series
Women: Iris Schmidbauer (GER)
European Champion, 9th overall in cliff diving World Series
Final rankings – LEN Awards 2022
Swimming, Men
David Popovici, ROU 56,16%
Kristof Milak, HUN 22,71%
Thomas Ceccon, ITA 13,79%
Leon Marchand, FRA 4,77%
Nicolo Martinenghi, ITA 2,56%
Swimming, Women
Ruta Meilutyte, LTU 37,20%
Sarah Sjostrom, SWE 35,11%
Marritt Steenbergen, NED 18,75%
Benedetta Pilato, ITA 8,93 %
Diving, Men
Jack Laugher, GBR 36,21%
Oleksiy Sereda, UKR 24,09%
Kirill Boliukh, UKR 9,13%
Timo Barthel, GER 7,25%
Noah Williams, GBR 7,12%
Lorenzo Marsaglia, ITA 9,67%
Giovanni Tocci, ITA 6,50%
Diving, women
Chiara Pellacani, ITA 28,29%
Sofiya Lyskun, UKR 25,94%
Elena Bertocchi, ITA 17,85%
Tina Punzel, GER 10,94%
A. Spendolini-Sirieix, GBR 10,19%
Lois Toulson, GBR 6,69%
Artistic swimming, men
Giorgio Minisini, ITA 75,80%
Pau Ribes, ESP 16,
Jozef Solymosy, SVK 7,50%
Artistic swimming, women
Marta Fiedina, UKR 60,61%
Linda Cerruti, ITA 22,92%
Vasiliki Alexandri, AUT 16,41%
Open water, men
Gregorio Paltrinieri, ITA 63,79%
Florian Wellbrock, GER 15,64%
Domenico Acerenza, ITA 9,54%
Marc-Antoine Olivier, FRA 7,12%
Dario Verani, ITA 3,99%
Open water, women
Sharon v. Rouwendaal, NED 55,12%
Leonie Beck, GER 22,00%
Giulia Gabbrielleschi, ITA 10,46%
Aurelie Muller, FRA 7,03%
Lea Boy, GER 5,
Water polo, Men
Unai Aguirre, ESP 36,39%
Szilard Jansik, HUN 23,96%
Alvaro Granados, ESP 14,93%
Marko Bijac, CRO 14,92%
Giacomo Cannella, ITA 9,80%
Water polo, Women
Judith Forca, ESP 31,80%
Rita Keszthelyi, HUN 27,37%
Eleftheria Plevritou, GRE 17,57%
Brigitte Sleeking, NED 14,63%
Roberta Bianconi, ITA 8,42%
High diving, men
Constantin Popovici, ROU 64,77%
Catalin Preda, ROU 24,18%
Alessandro de Rose, ITA 11,05%
High diving, women
Iris Schmidbauer, GER 57,76%
Antonina Vyshyvanova, UKR 21,65%
Elise Cosetti, ITA 20,68%
LEN AWARDS – ALL-TIME WINNERS’ LIST
SWIMMING
Men
2008: Alain Bernard (France)
2009: Paul Biedermann (Germany)
2010: Camille Lacourt (France)
2011: Alexander Dale Oen (Norway)
2012: Yannick Agnel (France)
2013: Yannick Agnel (France)
2014: Florent Manaudou (France)
2015: Laszlo Cseh (Hungary)
2016: Adam Peaty (Great Britain)
2017: Adam Peaty (Great Britain)
2018: Kliment Kolesnikov (Russia)
2019: Adam Peaty (Great Britain)
2021: Adam Peaty (Great Britain)
2022: David Popovici (Romania)
Women
2008: Rebecca Adlington (Great Britain)
2009: Britta Steffen (Germany)
2010: Therese Alshammar (Sweden)
2011: Federica Pellegrini (Italy)
2012: Ranomi Kromowidjojo (Netherlands)
2013: Katinka Hosszu (Hungary)
2014: Katinka Hosszu (Hungary)
2015: Katinka Hosszu (Hungary)
2016: Katinka Hosszu (Hungary)
2017: Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden)
2018: Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden)
2019: Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden)
2021: Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden)
2022: Ruta Meilutyte (Lithuania)
DIVING
Men
2008: Dmitry Sautin (Russia)
2009: Tom Daley (Great Britain)
2010: Illya Kvasha (Ukraine)
2011: Sascha Klein (Germany)
2012: Ilya Zakharov (Russia)
2013: Patrick Hausding (Germany)
2014: Patrick Hausding (Germany)
2015: Tom Daley (Great Britain)
2016: Jack Laugher (Great Britain)
2017: Tom Daley (Great Britain)
2018: Jack Laugher (Great Britain)
2019: Aleksandar Bondar (Russia)
2021: Tom Daley (Great Britain)
2022: Jack Laugher (Great Britain)
Women
2008: Yulia Pakhalina (Russia)
2009: Tania Cagnotto (Italy)
2010: Christin Steuer (Germany)
2011: Tania Cagnotto (Italy)
2012: Tania Cagnotto (Italy)
2013: Tania Cagnotto (Italy)
2014: Tania Cagnotto (Italy)
2015: Tania Cagnotto (Italy)
2016: Tania Cagnotto (Italy)
2017: Nadezhda Bazina (Russia)
2018: Celine van Duijn (Netherlands)
2019: Ekaterina Beliaeva (Russia)
2021: Tina Punzel (Germany)
2022: Chiara Pellacani (Italy)
ARTISTIC SWIMMING
Women
2008: Anastasia Davydova, Anastasia Ermakova (Russia)
2009: Natalia Ishchenko (Russia)
2010: Natalia Ishchenko (Russia)
2011: Natalia Ishchenko, Svetlana Romashina (Russia)
2012: Natalia Ishchenko (Russia)
2013: Svetlana Romashina (Russia)
2014: Ona Carbonell (Spain)
2015: Svetlana Romashina (Russia)
2016: Natalia Ishchenko (Russia)
2017: Svetlana Kolesnichenko (Russia)
2018: Svetlana Kolesnichenko (Russia)
2019: Ona Carbonell (Spain)
2021: Svetlana Kolesnichenko (Russia)
2022: Marta Fiedina (Ukraine)
Men
2017: Giorgio Minisini (Italy)
2018: Giorgio Minisini (Italy)
2019: Aleksandr Maltsev (Russia)
2021: Aleksandr Maltsev (Russia)
2022: Giorgio Minisini (Italy)
OPEN WATER
Men
2008: Maarten van der Weijden (Netherlands)
2009: Thomas Lurz (Germany)
2010: Valerio Cleri (Italy)
2011: Thomas Lurz (Germany)
2012: Thomas Lurz (Germany)
2013: Thomas Lurz (Germany)
2014: Thomas Lurz (Germany)
2015: Ferry Weertman (Netherlands)
2016: Ferry Weertman (Netherlands)
2017: Marc-Antoine Olivier (France)
2018: Kristof Rasovszky (Hungary)
2019: Kristof Rasovszky (Hungary)
2021: Florian Wellbrock (Germany)
2022: Gregorio Paltrinieri (Italy)
Women
2008: Larisa Ilchenko (Russia)
2009: Angela Maurer (Germany)
2010: Linsy Heister (Netherlands)
2011: Keri-Anne Payne (Great Britain)
2012: Eva Risztov (Hungary)
2013: Martina Grimaldi (Italy)
2014: Sharon van Rouwendaal (Netherlands)
2015: Aurelie Muller (France)
2016: Sharon van Rouwendaal (Netherlands)
2017: Aurelie Muller (France)
2018: Sharon van Rouwendaal (Netherlands)
2019: Rachele Bruni (Italy)
2021: Sharon van Rouwendaal (Netherlands)
2022: Sharon van Rouwendaal (Netherlands)
WATER POLO
Men
2008: Peter Biros (Hungary)
2009: Filip Filipovic (Serbia)
2010: Vanja Udovicic (Serbia)
2011: Stefano Tempesti (Italy)
2012: Miho Boskovic (Croatia)
2013: Denes Varga (Hungary)
2014: Filip Filipovic (Serbia)
2015: Dusko Pijetlovic (Serbia)
2016: Filip Filipovic (Serbia)
2017: Marko Bijac (Croatia)
2018: Filip Filipovic (Serbia)
2019: Francesco di Fulvio (Italy)
2021: Filip Filipovic (Serbia)
2022: Unai Aguirre (Spain)
Women
2008: Danielle De Bruijn (Netherlands)
2009: Iefke van Belkum (Netherlands)
2010: Sofia Konukh (Russia)
2011: Alexandra Asimaki (Greece)
2012: Anni Espar (Spain)
2013: Jennifer Pareja (Spain)
2014: Maria Garcia (Spain)
2015: Roberta Bianconi (Italy)
2016: Roberta Bianconi (Italy)
2017: Laura Ester (Spain)
2018: Sabrina van der Sloot (Netherlands)
2019: Laura Ester (Spain)
2021: Beatriz Ortiz (Spain)
2022: Judith Forca (Spain)
HIGH DIVING
Men
2022: Constantin Popovici (Romania)
Women
2022: Iris Schmidbauer (Germany)