Top Athletes for 2011 Selected in Santiago de Cuba

HAVANA TIMES, Dec 22 — Triple-jumper Alexis Copello and judoka Yaritza Abel were selected yesterday as the best athletes of 2011 in the province of Santiago de Cuba, reported the National Agency of Information.

Yaritza Abel was a silver medalist at the World Cup in Paris, and gold medal winner in the Pan American Games in Guadalajara this year.

For his part, Copello also emerged victorious in the Pan American competition, in addition to winning the gold in the Diamond League and winding up fourth in the World Athletics Championships in South Korea.

Honored in team sports were volleyball players Gyselle de la Caridad Silva (who was the silver medal winner in Guadalajara), and Wilfredo Leon (the silver medalist in the Pan American Games and noted for his standing in qualifying for the World Cup).