Quique Llopis, a renowned Valencian athlete, is among the nominees for the prestigious 'Athlete of the Year 2025' award at the Spanish Athletics Gala. The event is scheduled for this Saturday at 7:30 PM at the Auditorio Príncipe Felipe in Oviedo. This nomination follows a stellar indoor season, the best of his career, although the awards recognize achievements from 2025.

Other candidates for the award include Mohamed Attaoui, Paul McGrath, Marta García, María Pérez, and Paula Sevilla. Llopis secured a fourth-place finish in the 110 meters at the event held in the Japanese capital and equaled his national indoor record with 7.48. It is important to note that the silver medal won at the World Short Track in Torun, Poland, and the Spanish record of 7.42 set in that final, pertain to the 2025-2026 season and will therefore not be considered for this particular award.

Furthermore, Quique Llopis was crowned Spanish champion at the Luis Puig, the venue for the Spanish Short Track Championship (indoor track). Race walker María Pérez, from Diputación Valencia CA, is also a strong favorite, having had a historic season in which she became a two-time world champion in the 20 and 35-kilometer race walk, an achievement that placed her alongside legends like Usain Bolt and Mo Farah.

The other nominees also boast impressive careers: Attaoui finished fifth in the 1,500 meters at the 2025 Tokyo World Championships and broke the Spanish 1,000-meter record; McGrath earned bronze in the 20 kilometers at the same world championships; Marta García placed seventh in the 5,000 meters in Tokyo 2025 and broke her national five-kilometer record; and Paula Sevilla achieved continental bronze in the 400 meters indoors, equaling the national record.