World No.3 Grigor Dimitrov has been named Balkan Athlete of Year following his rise on the tour this season.
Dimitrov topped the poll with a total of 62 points, narrowly beating second placed Simona Halep, who had 60 points. A total of nine news agencies across the Balkan region took part in the annual poll, which is in its 45th year. Dimitrov is the first Bulgarian winner since wrestler Stanka Zlateva won the honour back in 2010.
“I am happy to learn that I have been named Best Balkan Athlete of 2017. Good work yields good results. Perseverance, confidence and complete dedication always pay off.” Dimitrov told The Bulgarian News Agency.
“This year has been strong and special for me and my coaching team. I want to thank my family and my team, and all who believe in me and support me in bad times and in good times.”
Official results show that Dimitrov was awarded points from every news agency that took part in the poll. Apart from Halep, he also finished ahead of track and field stars Ramil Guliyev (200M), Katerina Stefanidi (pole vault) and Sandra Perkovic (Discus). All three of those athletes won a gold medal at this year’s World Athletics Championships.
The 26-year-old has won four titles on the ATP Tour this year. At the Cincinnati Open Dimitrov defeated Nick Kyrgios to win his first Masters 1000 trophy. Then at the end of the season, he became the first player from his country to win the ATP World Tour Finals after defeating David Goffin in the finale. Dimitrov also claimed titles in Brisbane and Sofia, winning 49 out of 68 matches played on the tour this season.
Runner-up Halep has also enjoyed a successful year. The world No.1 is the first player from her country to top the WTA rankings. Halep has featured in five WTA finals, winning her sole title at the Madrid Open in May. Her best grand slam performance occurred at the French Open when she was runner-up to Jelena Ostapenko. Overall, she has won 47 out of 64 matches played this year.
Next year Dimitrov will start his new season at the Brisbane International during the first week of January. Meanwhile, Halep will play at the Shenzhen Open the same week.
Top 10 Balkan athletes of 2017
1. Grigor Dimitrov, Bulgaria (men’s tennis) – 62 pts
2. Simona Halep, Romania (women’s tennis) – 60 pts
3. Ramil Guliyev, Turkey (men’s sprinting) – 49 pts
4. Katerina Stefanidi, Greece (women’s pole vault) – 48 pts
5. Sandra Perkovic, Croatia (women’s discus throw) – 46 pts
6. Luka Modric, Croatia (men’s football) – 31 pts
7. Eleftherios Petrounias, Greece (men’s artistic gymnastics) – 21 pts
8. Bogdan Bogdanovic, Serbia (men’s basketball) – 19 pts
9. Tijana Boskovic, Serbia (women’s volleyball) – 17 pts
10. Stojance Stoilov, Macedonia (men’s handball) – 16 pts
List of agencies involved in the voting process
Agerpres (Romania), Anadolu Agency (Turkey), ANA-MPA (Greece), ATA (Albania), FENA (Bosnia and Herzegovina), HINA (Croatia), MIA (Macedonia), MINA (Montenegro), Tanjug (Serbia) and BTA (Bulgaria).
Source: BTA.BG
