The LEN, which is the federation that runs European water polo, and the fans of this sport (whose vote was worth 30%) have chosen two Spaniards as the best European water polo players of 2022. Unai Aguirre, Atlétic-Barceloneta goalkeeperget this award at just 21 years old, while Judit Forca, 26, joins the long list of Spanish water polo players who have won this recognition in recent years, from Jennifer Pareja to Bea Ortiz through the double award-winning Laura Ester. This same afternoon the European federation has made public the awards.
Aguirre was key in the World Cup in Budapest for Spain to win the gold medal 21 years later. His great performance, especially in the quarterfinal and semifinal matches against Montenegro and Croatia They were key to the Spanish classification to their second consecutive final. The goalkeeper also defended the Spanish goal in the final of the World League in which Spain was third and in the European Championship in Split, where he repeated in the same box on the podium. With Atlètic-Barceloneta, he reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League and in the domestic competition he lifted the League, the Cup and the Super Cup.
Forca’s case is similar. Although in the World Cup Miki Oca’s team did not get past the quarterfinals against the United States, they made up for it in style at the end of the summer with gold in the European Championship in a sensational tournament in which Forca was decisive with his left-footed goals. The same was the case in the World League in November. Spain hung the gold. With CN Sabadell, Forca reached the Champions League final and won the League.
In the male category, the rest of the winners were David Popovici (swimming), Gregorio Paltrinieri (open water), G. Minisini (synchronized), C. Popovici (high diving) and the British J. Laugher in diving. In the female category, together with Forca, the Lithuanian will receive the award Ruta Meylutite in swimming, the Ukrainian Fiedina in artistic swimming, the Dutch Sarah Van Rouwendaal in open water, Schimdbauer in high jumps and the Italian Pellacani in diving.