The LEN Awards for Europe’s best aquatic athletes were announced in 2008 for the first time, based on the votes of the National Federations. Fifteen years on, the governing body of European Aquatics decided to give the floor to the fans as well – the outcome of the public vote weighed 30% in the overall results. 

And it really counted in the race of the shortlisted female swimmers. Lithuanian swimming fans stepped up and their backing was decisive in Ruta Meilutyte’s first-ever LEN Award – their more than 8,000 votes swinged the decision in the returning breaststroke ace’s favour as the gap was only 2%. Meilutyte halted Sarah Sjostrom’s streak of four consecutive victories.

Romania’s David Popovici claimed an overwhelming win among the men – here the LEN voters favoured him heavily while Hungary’s Kristof Milak topped the public polls. Last year saw three individual long-course world records at the men’s majors – not surprisingly, the three WR-beaters also came 1-3 in the ranks. Popovici’s 100m WR in Rome was the real headline in 2022 as he brought down one of the last shiny WRs from 2009 (Milak beat his own mark in the 200m fly and Italy’s Thomas Ceccon stunned many with his 100m back WR).

Spain doubled down the water polo rewards as their national teams enjoyed a great summer: the men became world champions while the women retained their European title. Unai Aguirre was the best goalie at the Worlds and the voters recognised his outstanding contribution – he is the first Spanish man to win the award and the third goalie since 2008. Among the women, the Spaniards are frequent victors, Judith Forca is the third in four years and the seventh on the all-time list.

British diver Jack Laugher is one step closer to tie compatriot Tom Daley’s record of four LEN Awards. Laugher, enjoying another great season with two individual world medals (the only European having achieved that) and two European titles, managed to come first after 2016 and 2018. Among the ladies, Chiara Pellacani is the second Italian being crowned after Tania Cagnotto (who holds the absolute record with 7 awards).

The only athlete to retain her title from 2021 is Sharon van Rouwendaal, in open water swimming. The Dutchwoman amassed a fine set of gold medals last summer and rightfully claimed her fifth recognition after 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2021. As for the men, in wake of the Italians’ absolute dominance this season it may sound surprising that world and European champion Gregorio Paltrinieri is only the second Italian winner ever and the country had to wait 13 years to have a male LEN Award winner in this discipline.

The other Italian winner, Giorgio Minisini is not new in the business, this is his third award after being elected the best one on the first two occasions in artistic swimming. Among the women, Marta Fiedina brought some heart-warming news to her war-ridden Ukraine – the hero of the summer with two world titles and six European golds collected 60% of the votes, similarly high share as Minisini’s 75%.

There was no doubt that the champions of the inaugural European contests should receive the first-ever LEN Awards in high diving: Romania’s Constantin Popovici and Germany’s Iris Schmidbauer topped both polls, the federations’ votes and the public one alike.