The World Games Athlete of the Year 2022

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Top 10

  • Valeria Cardenas

    Valeria Cardenas

    COL

    Flying Disc

    35769 votes

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  • Monika Chochlikova

    Monika Chochlikova

    SVK

    Muaythai

    35423 votes

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  • Johana Viveros Mondragon

    Johana Viveros Mondragon

    COL

    Roller Sports

    14723 votes

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  • Ya Wen Lin

    Ya Wen Lin

    TPE

    Korfball

    13412 votes

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  • Miho Nonaka

    Miho Nonaka

    JPN

    Sport Climbing

    8958 votes

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  • Nina Holt

    Nina Holt

    GER

    Life Saving

    8870 votes

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  • Max Poschart

    Max Poschart

    GER

    Underwater Sports

    8361 votes

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  • Victor Crouin

    Victor Crouin

    FRA

    Squash

    8358 votes

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  • Ivanna Berezovska

    Ivanna Berezovska

    UKR

    Sumo

    8349 votes

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  • Kaden Brown

    Kaden Brown

    USA

    Gymnastics

    8230 votes

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Positions 11 - 23

  • Cecilia Jaques

    Cecilia Jaques

    BRA

    Fistball

    4044 votes

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  • Andrew Birkett

    Andrew Birkett

    RSA

    Canoe

    3605 votes

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  • Andrés Acuña Araya

    Andrés Acuña Araya

    CRC

    Racquetball

    3572 votes

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  • Andrew Teska

    Andrew Teska

    USA

    Aikido

    3522 votes

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  • Cinzia Noziglia

    Cinzia Noziglia

    ITA

    Archery

    3301 votes

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  • Haylie McCleney

    Haylie McCleney

    USA

    Baseball - Softball

    3261 votes

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  • Simona Aebersold

    Simona Aebersold

    SUI

    Orienteering

    3174 votes

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  • Kevin Haglund

    Kevin Haglund

    SWE

    Floorball

    3141 votes

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  • Darya Latisheva

    Darya Latisheva

    UZB

    Wushu

    3083 votes

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  • Josh Byrne

    Josh Byrne

    CAN

    Lacrosse

    3056 votes

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  • Bahram Rajabzadeh

    Bahram Rajabzadeh

    AZE

    Kickboxing

    3048 votes

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  • B-Girl Ami

    B-Girl Ami

    JPN

    DanceSport

    3038 votes

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  • Aafke van Leeuwen

    Aafke van Leeuwen

    NED

    Ju-Jitsu

    3038 votes

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Flying Disc

Valeria Cardenas’ (COL) spectacular season started with a 3rd place at The World Games 2022, and ended when she helped catapult her club to the USA Championship for the first time. She also won gold with Revolution at the World Ultimate Club Championships and was named Ultiworld's 2022 Women's Club Player of the Year.

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Muaythai

Monika Chochlíková (SVK) is one of the first athletes ever to compete in two sports at the same edition of The World Games. While her Kickboxing competition got a rough start, in Muaythai she was unbeatable. The former World Champion in Kickboxing and Muaythai claimed the gold medal in the Muaythai finals against the reigning World Champion Meriem El Moubarik.

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Roller Sports

The Speed Skater Johana Viveros Mondragon (COL) stood out clearly as the most successful athlete at The World Games 2022 with four gold medals and one silver medal in Speed Skating Track/Road. After just two editions of The World Games, Viveros Mondragon is already in 12th place on the list of all-time most successful athletes.

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Korfball

Ya Wen-Lin’s (TPE) attacking skills are a nightmare for many defenders, forcing the coaches of opponents to come up with special strategies to try to keep her from scoring. Nevertheless she scored an impressive total of 27 goals at The World Games. She was the top scorer of the tournament, with the runner-up following with ‘just’ 22 goals. Wen-Lin helped her team claim the bronze medal.

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Sport Climbing

Miho Nonaka (JPN) won gold at The World Games 2022 in the women’s Boulder event, and podiumed three times during the IFSC World Cup Series 2022. She is a Tokyo 2020 silver medallist and is considered one of the most successful female athletes in the Boulder discipline, having won 23 World Cup medals between 2014 and 2022. Last year, in Salt Lake City, she won her first-ever World Cup medal in Speed, placing third. She is also a former national champion in Boulder, Speed, and Combined.

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Life Saving

Nina Holt (GER) won four golds and one bronze at the The World Games 2022. In the ranking of multi-medalists, she took second place. Already in March, Holt had set a world record in the Rescue Medley. In September at the World Life Saving Championships in Italy the 19-year-old won two gold, two silver and three bronze medals.

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Underwater Sports

Max Poschart (GER) won the gold medal in 100 m Surface, 200 m Surface and 4x100 m Surface at The World Games 2022. He also won bronze in the 4x50 m Relay. Last season (2021/2022) he won all 12 World Cup races, and this year World Championship gold in 100 m Surface.

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Squash

Victor Crouin (FRA) was the surprise winner of the Men’s Squash tournament at The World Games 2022. The 23-year-old said: “Winning the gold is a huge achievement for my country and myself and I am proud to have fought all the way until the end. So happy!” He is currently ranked 10th in the world after winning the Open de France de Squash 2022.

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Sumo

Ukrainian Sumo fighter Ivanna Berezovska won the Open weight category at The World Games 2022, and finished second in the Heavyweight category. The 31-year-old athlete improved her results from 2017, when she won one silver. Her silver in Birmingham came from an all-Ukrainian final against her team-mate Svitlana Yaromka, who won bronze in Open weight.

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Gymnastics

Kaden Brown (USA) won the spectacular Tumbling final at The World Games 2022, the only gymnast from the host nation to earn a gold in Gymnastics. In November he won two more medals at the World Championships: team all-around silver and Tumbling team bronze medal.

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Fistball

Brazilian Fistball striker Cecília Jacques (22) had a successful year: her team won bronze at The World Games, and she took home the long-awaited Fistball World Tour title as captain of her club team SOGIPA Porto Alegre. She is furthermore World Tour Champion, 2-times South American Champion, and 3-times Pan-American Champion.

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Canoe

Andrew Birkett (RSA) won Canoe Marathon, Standard distance when the sport made its debut at The World Games in 2022, despite health problems. After that, he won the same distance at the World Championships.

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Racquetball

Andrés Acuña Araya (CRC) was the runner-up in the Racquetball World Championships 2021, but at The World Games 2022 in Birmingham he won gold in the Men’s Singles Final. 27-year-old Acuña Araya is the first medallist at The World Games from Costa Rica.

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Aikido

Andrew Teska (USA) has dedicated his life to Aikido and to bringing it to the next generation. He serves as Youth Working Group Ambassador for the USA and as a youth instructor. At The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama, he was one of the athletes demonstrating the sport of Aikido.

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Archery

Cinzia Noziglia (ITA) achieved a first-ever triple this year: she won gold at The World Games, at the World Archery 3D Championships and at the World Archery Field Championships. No one has ever been able to do this before.

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Baseball - Softball

Haylie McCleney was named the Most Valuable Player of The World Games 2022 Softball competition. The outfielder hit .553 with 4 runs and 5 RBI, as USA’s everyday leadoff hitter, when the USA won the tournament.

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Orienteering

Simona Aebersold (SUI) won gold in all three orienteering competitions (Sprint, Middle, Relay) at The World Games 2022. Furthermore she has won 8 World Championships medals and 5 European Championships medals, and she is the reigning Middle Distance European champion. She finished second in the overall World Cup in 2022.

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Floorball

Kevin Haglund played his first TWG tournament in 2022. He was the top scorer of the team with six goals in five games. Sweden won their second TWG title when they beat Finland 6-5 in the final.

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Wushu

During The World Games 2022, Uzbekistan’s Darya Latisheva unleashed dazzling Wushu performances in Nandao and Nanquan that left spectators breathless and won her a long-dreamed-of silver medal. She epitomizes grit, perseverance and bravery, especially as she struggled to win a devastating battle with Covid-19 to proudly see the flag of Uzbekistan rise over The World Games podium. Darya’s dedication, intelligence, and sportsmanship are combined with a never-give-up attitude that has made her one of Asia’s most promising young champions of this decade.

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Lacrosse

Josh Byrne (CAN) helped lead Canada to the men’s World Games gold medal and a 5-0 record by leading the team in points. He was the top-scorer of the tournament with 21 goals and seven assists. He totalled nine points in Canada’s two knockout wins.

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Kickboxing

Bahram Rajabzadeh (AZE) is The World Games 2022 K1 champion, but also Azerbaijan champion, WAKO World champion, European champion, and Islamic Games 2022 champion. He competes in the Heavyweight category, and is well known for his spectacular hand strikes, incredible sense for combat, and his flying kicks.

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DanceSport

B-Girl Ami (JPN) won the Breaking competition when the DanceSport discipline made its debut at The World Games. Later in 2022, Ami won gold at the World Championships. She is also current World number 1 breaker.

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Ju-Jitsu

Aafke van Leeuwen (NED), Bronze medallist in the Ju-jitsu Mixed Team event at The World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, won her fourth World Championship gold medal in Ju-jitsu in November 2022 just before retiring from international competition. She won an individual Bronze at The World Games in Wroclaw in 2017.

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