| The
50 Best
Top 50 Latino Athletes
From professional basketball to kayaking, Latino athletes are continuing
to make their mark on the world of sports. Here’s a look at
50 top athletes who caught our attention.
By Kiko Martinez
 Pablo
Amat
Field Hockey (Spain)
Amat, 30, won a silver medal at the Summer Olympics in Beijing last
year as a forward for his Spanish Men’s Field Hockey National
Team. Last year, he was named the World Hockey Player of the Year.
His coach Maurits Hendriks once called him “the Ronaldinho
of hockey.”
 Carmelo
Anthony
Basketball (USA)
In the sixth season of his NBA career, Denver Nuggets small forward
Anthony, 24, who is half Puerto Rican, is currently leading his
playoff-bound, mile-high team with an average of 22.1 points per
game. He also earned a gold medal with the USA “Redeem Team”
during the 2008 Summer Olympics.
 Tony
Azevedo
Water Polo (USA)
Nicknamed “The Savior,” Azevedo, who was born in Brazil,
led the U.S. National Men’s Water Polo Team to an Olympic
silver medal last year in Beijing with a win over Hungary. In the
opening game of the tournament, Azevedo, 27, scored five goals in
an 8-4 victory over host country China.
 marco
Antonio Barrera
Boxing (mexico)
Considered one of the Best 50 Boxers of All Time by ESPN, 35-year-old
Barrera is attempting to become the first-ever Mexican boxer to
win a title in four different weight classes. Currently promoted
by Don King, Barrera holds a professional record of 65-6-0-1 with
43 knockouts.
Yarelis Barrios
Track & Field (Cuba)
Barrios, 25, earned her country’s first Olympic medal in the
discus throw in 16 years with a second-place finish at last year’s
Summer Games with a toss of 63.64 meters. Her personal best came
in the World Championship in Osaka, Japan when she hurled the discus
63.90 meters.
Ivan Calderon
Boxing (Puerto Rico)
At 34 years old, Calderon is an undefeated boxer with a record of
32-0. He is the current World Boxing Organization Light Flyweight
Champion and The Ring Light Flyweight Champion. His next scheduled
fight is against Cesar Canchila of Colombia in May.
 Henry
Cejudo
Freestyle Wrestling (USA)
At 21, Cejudo became the youngest American to ever win an Olympic
gold medal in wrestling when he defeated Japan’s Tomohiro
Matsunaga in two periods. Cejudo is the son of Mexican immigrants
and is from Phoenix. He passed on a college wrestling career and
went straight into the professional ranks.
Miguel Cotto
Boxing (Puerto Rico)
At the age of 28 and with a record of 33-1 (27 knockouts), Cotto
recently won the World Boxing Association Welterweight Championship
this past February with a TKO of Michael Jennings at Madison Square
Garden. He was named Boxer of the Year by the association in 2008.
Saúl Craviotto
kayaking (spain)
Along with his partner Carlos Pérez, Craviotto, 24, won the
gold medal in the kayak double 500-meter event at the 2008 Olympics
in Beijing. The duo stunned the team from Germany, who were the
Olympic gold medalists from 2004, to take the upset victory.
Carlos Delgado
Baseball (USA)
As the first basemen for the New York Mets, Delgado, 36, hold the
record for all-time home runs and RBIs by any player from Puerto
Rico. Last year he became only the third player in Mets history
to have at least 65 RBIs in a 65-game stretch. He also got his 2,000th
career hit in September.
Fernando Echavarri
Sailing (Spain)
Along with Spanish team member Antón Paz, professional yachtsman
Echavarri, 37, added Olympic gold in the Tornado Class to the two
gold medals he won in the 2005 and 2007 World Championships. He
is currently racing in the World Ocean Race, which started in their
home country in October.
 Maria
del Rosario Espinoza
Taekwondo (Mexico)
Espinoza, 21, made it a taekwondo trifecta when she added a gold
medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics to the two gold medals she had
already earned in the Pan American Games and World Championships
in 2007. The gold in Beijing was one of the two Mexico won last
year.
César Ciel Filho
Swimming (Brazil)
Swimmer Filho, 22, won gold in the men’s 50 meter freestyle
event in Beijing. The win marked Brazil’s first-ever gold
in the sport. He is the record holder for the NCAA and U.S. Open
50 and 100-yard freestyle swims, which he set last year with Auburn
University at the NCAA Division 1 swimming and diving championships.
Sergio García
Golf (usa, spain)
After winning the HSBC Champions tournament in November 2008, García,
29, was ranked the No. 2 golfer in the world right behind Tiger
Woods. It helped that during the prior month, García won
his first European Tour title in his home country and at the beginning
of the year won the Players Championship on the PGA Tour.
Pau Gasol
Basketball (usa, spain)
With eight years in the league, Gasol, 28, helped take the Los Angeles
Lakers to the NBA Championship in 2008. That same year he led his
Spanish National Basketball Team into the Olympics where they placed
second after the USA. He was also named the 2008 FIBA European Player
of the Year and voted into his second NBA All-Star Game.
 Emanuel
Ginobili
Basketball (usa, Argentina)
Ginobili, 31, is the only player ever to win a Euroleague title,
an NBA title and an Olympic gold medal. As a member of the San Antonio
Spurs, he is one of the most exciting players to watch on the court.
In 2008, he won the NBA Sixth Man Award and was part of Argentina’s
bronze medal campaign in Beijing.
Fernando Gonzalez
Tennis (chile)
Gonzalez, 28, is the only male tennis player to win each Olympic
medal. He brought home the silver medal after competing in the Summer
Games last year. Gonzalez has 11 tennis titles to his name. The
most recent came in February when he won the Viña del Mar
tournament for the fourth time.
Tony Gonzalez
Football (USA)
As the popular tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, Gonzalez, 33,
currently holds the single-season league record for the most receptions
by a player at his position. In 2008, he was named to his 10th Pro-Bowl
game and was a First-Team All-Pro selection for the sixth time in
his career.
Yoanka Gonzalez
Track Cycling (cuba)
After her husband Pedro Pérez, who is also a cyclist, was
in a near-fatal car crash last summer, Gonzalez, 33, found the strength
to enter the Olympic Games in Beijing where she won the silver medal
in the points race. This was Cuba’s first-ever medal in cycling.
Currently, she is ranked No. 5 in the world.
Scott Gomez
Hockey (usa)
A member of the New York Rangers hockey team, Gomez, 29, was the
first Latino (Mexican and Colombian descent) player to ever join
the NHL league. In February 2008, Gomez scored his 500th career
point during a game against his former team, the New Jersey Devils.
Evan Longoria
Baseball (usa)
In only his first season in the major leagues, Longoria, 23, helped
his Tampa Bay Rays get to the World Series for the first time in
franchise history. In his rookie season, he was named to the MLB
All-Star team and was named Rookie of the Year.
 Mark
Lopez
Taekwondo (usa)
Of the three Lopez siblings, all of whom are taekwondo champions,
including older brother Steven and younger sister Diana, Mark, 26,
had the best year in 2008 when he earned a silver medal at the Olympics.
Both Steven and Diana proudly returned home each with a bronze.
Mijail López
Wrestling (cuba)
In the sport of Greco-Roman wrestling, López, 26, is arguably
the greatest in the world. He was named Cuba’s best male athlete
in 2007. Last year, he proved his ability when he won the gold medal
by defeating his longtime rival Russian Khasan Baroyev in a 6-1
decision.
Llaneras
Track Cycling (spain)
Just when some though his career in racing was over, Llaneras, 39,
once again proved he was the best athlete in his sport when he took
home a gold and a silver in last year’s Olympics. With the
victories, he became Spain’s most winning Olympic athlete
ever.
Maurren Maggi
Track & Field Long jump (brazil)
Maggi, 32, was the first Brazilian woman to ever win Olympic gold
in an individual sport when she placed first in Beijing last year.
Earlier in the year, Maggi won a silver medal at the 2008 IAAF World
Indoor Championships.
Juan Manuel Márquez
Boxing (mexico)
Márquez, 35, currently hold the WBA, WBO, IBO lightweight
and Ring magazine lightweight championships. Three of those titles
came from a single win this past February when Márquez knocked
out boxer Juan Díaz. His record is 50-4-1 with 37 KOs.
Marta
Soccer (brazil)
Considered the best female soccer player in the world, Marta, 23,
was named the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year in 2008
for the third time in a row. She recently announced she would join
the Los Angeles Sol of the WPS league. Marta and team Spain scored
a silver medal at last year’s Olympics.
Javier Mascherano
Soccer (Argentina)
As captain of Argentina’s national men’s team, Mascherano,
24, who currently plays for Liverpool, led his team to a gold medal
at the 2008 Olympics. The midfielder became only the second athlete
in Argentine history to win two gold medals.
 Lionel
Messi
Soccer (argentina)
When Diego Maradona, the FIFA Player of the Century, calls you his
“successor,” you know you’re a special player.
That’s what Maradona said of Messi, 21, who currently plays
for FC Barcelona. As part of the Argentine National team, Messi
won a gold medal last year in Beijing.
 Yipsi
Moreno
Track & Field Hammer throw (cuba)
Currently ranked first in the world in her sport, Moreno, 28, is
a two-time world champion and a silver medal winner at the 2008
Summer Olympics. She holds the Cuban national record in the hammer
throw with a distance of 78.36 meters.
 Rafael
Nadal
Tennis (spain)
Nadal, 22, is currently (as of press time) ranked the best tennis
player in the entire world. Nadal won the gold medal at last year’s
Olympics. He also won his first hard-court Gram Slam title at the
beginning of 2009 with a win over rival No. 2 ranked tennis player
Roger Federer at the Australian Open.
 Lorena
Ochoa
Golf (mexico)
Considered the best Mexican golfer of all time, LPGA’s Ochoa,
27, is currently ranked as the No. 1 female golfer in the world.
She won seven LPGA titles in 2008, including the major Kraft Nabisco
Championship. She also started her own LPGA golf tournament, the
Lorena Ochoa Invitational.
David Ortiz
Baseball (usa)
Nicknamed “Big Papi,” designated hitter David Ortiz,
33, is currently a powerhouse swinger for the Boston Red Sox, where
he holds the single-season record for home runs with 54. Ortiz,
who is Dominican, is a five-time All-Star, including a selection
in last year’s game.
Guillermo Pérez
Taekwondo (mexico)
Pérez, 29, the 2008 Olympic gold medallist, won a unanimous
decision in his final match over Yulis Mercedes of the Dominican
Republic. His win marked the first gold medal earned by a male athlete
of Team Mexico since 1984.
 Jefferson
Pérez
Track & Field Walking (ecuador)
In 2008, Pérez, 34, won the silver medal in Beijing to go
along with his gold from 2004. These two medals are the only ones
the country of Ecuador has ever won at the Olympic Games. He is
also a three-time World Champion, winning consecutive titles from
2003-2007.
Albert Pujols
Baseball (usa)
First baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pujols, 29, is currently
the league leader in batting average and slugging percentage. In
2008, Pujols earned plenty of accolades including Sporting News
Player of the Year, the Roberto Clemente Award, and the National
League MVP.
Hanley Ramírez
Baseball (usa)
Born in the Dominican Republic, Ramírez is currently the
shortstop for the Florida Marlins. Last year he led the National
League in home runs, runs scored, and total bases. In the summer
of ’08, he was named NL Player of the Month in June. The following
month, he was voted into his first Major League All-Star game.
 Manny
Ramirez
Baseball (usa)
The future looks bright for left fielder Ramírez with his
new team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. With the most grand slams of
any active player, Ramírez, 36, is a 12-time All-Star and
nine-time Silver Slugger. He is also a member of the Major League
Baseball’s Latino Legends team.
Francisco Rodriguez
Baseball (usa)
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Rodriguez, 27, is a relief pitcher for
the New York Mets, whom he signed with in December 2008. Last year
“K-Rod” recorded his 58th save of the season to set
a new MLB record. He also set the major league record for saves
in one season with 62.
 Dayron
Robles
Track & Field Hurdles (cuba)
Before winning an Olympic gold medal in Beijing, Robles, 22, broke
the world record in the 110-meter hurdles in June 2008 with a time
of 12.87 seconds. He was named as one of the six Latinos to watch
by Time magazine.
Amy Rodriguez
Soccer (usa)
Rodriguez, 22, helped the USA Women’s National Team win the
gold medal against Brazil. She was credited with an assist on the
game-winning goal of the match. Currently playing for the Boston
Breakers, she was the No. 1 pick in the 2008 Women’s Professional
Soccer draft.
Ronaldinho
Soccer (brazil)
At 29 years old and already a legend, Ronaldinho plays soccer for
A.C. Milan in Italy. He is also a member of the Brazilian National
Team who won bronze at last year’s Olympics.
Diego Fernando Salazar
Weightlifting (colombia)
In 2008, Salazar, 28, won the silver medal lifting a total of 302kg
(nearly 606 lbs.) at the Pan American Weightlifting Championship.
He also grabbed another silver medal in Beijing when he lifted a
total of 305kg (672.4 lbs.)
 Irving
Saladino
Track & Field Long jump (panama)
Jumping 8.34 meters at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Saladino
became Panama’s first-ever gold medalist and the country’s
first medal winner in 60 years. Saladino’s best career jump
(8.73 meters) came only three months before that when he won gold
at the FBK-Games in the Netherlands.
Samuel Sanchez
Cycling (spain)
Sanchez, 31, made an outstanding comeback during the 2008 Summer
Olympics to win the gold medal in the Men’s Road Race. He
was able to outlast five other racers in a sprint to the finish
line where he beat Davide Rebellin from Italy by the length of a
bicycle wheel.
 Carlos
Sastre
Cycling (spain)
Sastre, 33, won the 2008 Tour de France with a 58-second lead over
the second place finisher, Cadel Evans of Australia. He now rides
for the Cervélo Test Team of the UCI Continental Circuit.
Anderson Silva
Mixed Martial Arts (brazil)
With a record of 23-4, Silva, 33, is currently ranked the No. 1
fighter in his middleweight class. For the past three years, he
has been the UFC Middleweight Champion and is tied for having the
most consecutive UFC wins in a row with eight. He is also the current
Cage Rage Champion.
 Dara
Torres
Swimming (usa)
Torres, 41, is the first swimmer in U.S. Olympic history to compete
in five Olympic Games. She started in 1984 at the age of 17 and
last year won silver medals in the 50-meter freestyle, the 4x100
medley relay, and the 4x100 freestyle relay.
Brenda Villa
Water Polo (usa)
As a member of team USA for the last 11 years, Villa, 29, has been
to the Olympic Games three times. Last year in Beijing, she and
the national team won the silver medal barely missing the gold with
an 8-9 loss to the Netherlands in the championship game.
 Camilo
Villegas
Golf (usa, colombia)
Currently ranked 10th in the world, Villegas, 27, broke the record
for the lowest score at the 2008 Open Championship where he shot
a 65. Later that year, he won his first PGA Tour title with a victory
at the BMW Championship and one at the Tour Championship.
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