Cuban canoeist Yarisleidis Cirilo named best female athlete of 2023

December 18, 2023

Cuban canoeist Yarisleidis Cirilo Dubois was selected as the best female athlete of 2023 by the Sports Press Association of the Americas (AIPS), according to official media reports from the Island.

The panel of judges took into consideration the exceptional performance of the canoeist from Guantánamo during the year, making her the first world champion in the history of women's canoeing in Cuba. This outstanding achievement was reached by securing the gold medal at the world championship in Duisburg, Germany.

At the sporting event, held last August, Cirilo prevailed in the final of the C1 at 200 meters, with a time of 44.799 seconds, surpassing Spaniard Antia Jacome (45.418) and Chinese Wenjun Lin (45.623).

The results at the canoeing world championship earned Yarisleidis qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in both the single canoe (C-1) at 200 meters and the double canoe (C-2) at 500 meters. In the latter, she formed a team with the talented 17-year-old Yinnoly Francheska López.

A native of the municipality of Baracoa and only 21 years old, the athlete also excelled by winning the title at the XIX Pan American Games held in Santiago, Chile in 2023.

The recognition for best male athlete by AIPS went to Venezuelan baseball player Ronald Acuña Blanco Junior, who stood out in the last Major League season with the Atlanta Braves.

On the other hand, honors for the female team and the press room went to Mexico's team and the one corresponding to the multisport competition in the Chilean capital, respectively.

2023: the year of consecration
2023, which is almost ending, has undoubtedly marked the consecration of Yarisleidis Cirilo in elite competition. Her results position her as one of Cuba's main hopes for achieving Olympic gold in Paris 2024.