The world’s best Aquatics athletes of the year were honoured tonight (Sunday December 16) at the fifth edition of the FINA World Aquatics Gala “Soirée des Etoiles”, held in conjunction with the end of the 14th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Hangzhou, China.The world’s best Aquatics athletes of the year were honoured tonight (Sunday December 16) at the fifth edition of the FINA World Aquatics Gala “Soirée des Etoiles”, held in conjunction with the end of the 14th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Hangzhou, China.

Swimming legends Chad Le Clos of South Africa. and Katinka Hosszu of Hungary received the FINA Best Male/Female Swimmer 2018 award respectively, a first for both athletes, while Hungary and the USA were honoured with the FINA Best Male/Female Water Polo Team 2018 recognition respectively. The U.S. female water polo team has bagged the highest FINA award for the fifth consecutive time, since the inception of the Gala in 2014.

China’s Cao Yuan received the FINA Best Male Diver 2018 title for the first time, while Shi Tingmao (CHN) bagged the female equivalent award for the fourth consecutive year, since 2015.

In artistic swimming, Ukraine’s Yelyzaveta Yakhno got the top honour, while the best male competitor was Italy’s Giorgio Minisini. 

Ferry Weertman (NED) and Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) were awarded with the FINA Best Male/Female Open Water Swimmer 2018, the second consecutive time for Cunha but fifth time since the inception of the Gala, and high divers Gary Hunt (GBR) and Rhiannan Iffland (AUS) completed the list of winners tonight in Hangzhou.

Masters athletes winning the awards are Zhang Jian and Wang Yan (CHN).

Xu Jiayu as received a special recognition: “the Best Breakthrough Athlete of China” 

Finally, the FINA Media Award of 2018 was given to the International Sport Association (AIPS) and their successful Young Report Programme (represented by AIPS President Gianni Merlo and young reporter Jeroen Adriaannse from the Netherlands).

The “Soirée des Etoiles” (the “Evening of the Stars”) was first held in Doha (QAT), before the start of the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m). For 2015, it was organised in Budapest (HUN) on January 31, 2016. The 2016 awardees were known in Windsor (CAN) on December 4, 2016, a couple of days before the start of the 13th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m), while the 2017 champions were awarded in Sanya (CHN) on December 2, 2017.

The 2018 winners by category are: 

Swimming Man Chad Le Clos Woman Katinka Hosszu 

Water Polo Men’s TeamHungaryWomen’s TeamUSA

Diving Man Cao YuanWoman Shi Tingmao

Artistic Swimming Woman Yelyzaveta Yakhno MenGiorgio Minisini

Open Water Man Ferry WeertmanWoman Ana Marcela Cunha

High Diving Man Gary HuntWoman Rhianna Iffland 

The following coaches were also rewarded on the occasion: 
SWIMMINGArpad Petrov (coach of Katinka Hosszu, HUN)Andrea di Nino (coach of Chad Le Clos, RSA)

WATER POLOTamas Marcz (coach of Team Hungary, men’s water polo), Adam Krikorian (coach of Team USA, women’s water polo)

DIVINGWenjin Zhao (coach of Cao Yuan and Shi Tingmao, CHN)  

ARTISTIC SWIMMINGRosella Pibiri (coach of Giorgio Minisini, ITA),Svetlana Saidova (coach of Yelyzaveta Yakhno, UKR) 

OPEN WATER Marcel Wouda (coach of Ferry Weertman, NED), Fernando Possenti (coach of Ana Marcela Cunha, BRA)

HIGH DIVINGSabine Ravinet (coach of Gary Hunt, GBR),Todor Spasov (Rhiannan Iffland, AUS).    
 

Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA)

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