Barcelona's Lionel Messi waves to his supporters before the match against Napoli during their Joan Gamper friendly soccer match at the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona August 22, 2011. (Photo: Xinhua/Reuters)
Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi on Thursday was elected as 2011 Male Best Athlete in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to Cuban news agency Prensa Latina (PL).
Colombian athlete Catherine Ibarguen won 2011 Female Best Athlete and Uruguay's national soccer team won 2011 Best Team award.
The Barcelona star Messi won with 38 votes, leaving behind Jamaican sprinter Usain Bold who obtained 32 votes and Uruguayan soccer player Luis Suarez, with 29 votes.
In the female category, PL said Catherine Ibarguen won with 48 votes, 13 more than Brazilian pole vaulter Fabiana Murer, who ended second place. Cuban discus thrower Yarelis Barrios, was third with 16 votes.
In the team's category, Uruguayan national soccer team won with 101 votes.
Media who participated in PL poll chose the 10 best athletes in 2011, which include Bolt, Suarez, Murer, Uruguayan soccer player Diego Forlan, Brazilian swimmers Cesar Cielo Filho and Thiago Pereira.
Also, Cuban athletes Lazaro Borges and Barrios, Mexican female diver Paola Espinosa and Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake.
Cuba led the list of media who participated in the poll with 31 press organizations, followed by Uruguay with 27 and Peru with 15.
