Czech snowboarder Ester Ledecká awarded EU Athlete of the Year

Czech athlete Ester Ledecká has become the first recipient of the European Union Trophy for the best athlete at the Premios Nacionales del Deporte (National Sports Awards), a prestigious annual ceremony that honor Spain's top athletes. The ceremony expanded its awards to include the top EU athlete following the country's presidency of the Council of the European Union last year.

Ledecká was presented the award by no less than the Spanish royal couple, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, during the gala ceremony held at the El Pardo Royal Palace in Madrid on Thursday.

"It is a great honor for me that today I could receive this award from the hands of the King and Queen," Ledecká told journalists after receiving the award. "I am actually the first to receive this award. I am glad that as a Czech I could receive this award."

The 2024 ceremony awarded the top athletes of 2022, with Ledecká's win driven by her remarkable performance at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where she won a gold medal in gold medals in the snowboarding parallel giant slalom and finished fifth in the alpine skiing super-G.

Defending her gold medals in both snowboarding and skiing from the previous Winter Games in Pyeongchang in 2018, Ledecká's victory solidified her status as one of the most accomplished athletes in history. That year, she became just the third person and the first woman ever to win gold in two separate disciplines at the same Olympic Games.

Joining Ledecká in receiving accolades at the National Sports Awards were tennis player Carlos Alcaraz, who was named Spain's top overall athlete, and paratriathlete Susana Rodríguez, among others. The awards ceremony honored athletes in fourteen categories for their outstanding performances in 2022.

"I appreciate it very much that I was even in the community of athletes who were here today to received the award, led by Carlos Alcaraz," remarked Ledecká.

The selection process involved a jury comprising members of the Spanish Olympic Committee, journalists, and the Paralympic Committee, who evaluated the significance of each athlete's achievements in their respective disciplines.

The National Sports Awards have been presented in Spain since 1982. Past winners of the top award, honoring Spain's top athlete, include Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso, tennis player Rafael Nadal, and soccer player Xavi Hernández.