View source for Luciana Aymar

{{short description|Argentine field hockey player}}
{{Infobox field hockey player
| name                = Luciana Aymar
| image               = Luciana Aymar.jpg
| caption             = Aymar in 2010
| full_name           = Luciana Paula Aymar
| birth_date          = {{Birth date and age|1977|8|10|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Rosario, Santa Fe|Rosario]], [[Argentina]]
| height              = 1.72 m
| position            = Midfielder  
| currentclub         =
| youthyears1         =
| youthclubs1         = Fisherton
| youthyears2         =
| youthclubs2         = [[Jockey Club de Rosario]]
| years1              = 1998
| clubs1              = Rot-Weiss Köln
| caps1               =
| goals1              =
| years2              = 1999
| clubs2              = [[Real Club de Polo de Barcelona|Real Club de Polo]]
| caps2               = 
| years3              = 2000–2007
| clubs3              = [[Quilmes Atlético Club|Quilmes]]
| caps3               = 
| goals3              = 
| years4              = 2008–2011
| clubs4              = [[Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires|GEBA]]
| caps4               = 
| goals4              = 
| nationalyears1      = 1994–1998
| nationalteam1       = Argentina U21
| nationalcaps1       = 
| nationalgoals1      = 
| nationalyears2      = 1998–2014
| nationalteam2       = [[Argentina women's national field hockey team|Argentina]]
| nationalcaps2       = 376
| nationalgoals2      = 162
| medaltemplates      = 
{{MedalSport | Women's [[field hockey]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{ARG}}}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Field hockey at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[Field hockey at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney]] | [[Field hockey at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|Team]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[Field hockey at the 2012 Summer Olympics|2012 London]] | [[Field hockey at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|Team]]}}
{{MedalBronze| [[Field hockey at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens]] | [[Field hockey at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|Team]]}}
{{MedalBronze| [[Field hockey at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing]] | [[Field hockey at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Women's Hockey World Cup|World Cup]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2002 Women's Hockey World Cup|2002 Perth]] | Team}}
{{MedalGold| [[2010 Women's Hockey World Cup|2010 Rosario]] | Team}}
{{MedalBronze| [[2006 Women's Hockey World Cup|2006 Madrid]] | Team}}
{{MedalBronze| [[2014 Women's Hockey World Cup|2014 The Hague]] | Team}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Hockey Champions Trophy|Champions Trophy]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2001 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2001 Amstelveen]] | Team}}
{{MedalGold| [[2008 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2008 Mönchengladbach]] | Team}}
{{MedalGold| [[2009 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2009 Sydney]] | Team}}
{{MedalGold| [[2010 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2010 Nottingham]] | Team}}
{{MedalGold| [[2012 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2012 Rosario]]| Team}}
{{MedalGold| [[2014 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2014 Mendoza]]| Team}}
{{MedalSilver| [[2002 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2002 Macau]] | Team}}
{{MedalSilver| [[2007 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2007 Quilmes]] | Team}}
{{MedalSilver| [[2011 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2011 Amstelveen]] | Team}}
{{MedalBronze| [[2004 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2004 Rosario]] | Team}}
{{MedalCompetition| [[Field hockey at the Pan American Games|Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1999 Pan American Games|1999 Winnipeg]]| [[Field hockey at the 1999 Pan American Games|Team]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2003 Pan American Games|2003 Santo Domingo]]| [[Field hockey at the 2003 Pan American Games|Team]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2007 Pan American Games|2007 Rio de Janeiro]]| [[Field hockey at the 2007 Pan American Games|Team]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[2011 Pan American Games|2011 Guadalajara]]| [[Field hockey at the 2011 Pan American Games – Women's tournament|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition| [[Women's Pan American Cup|Pan American Cup]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2001 Women's Pan American Cup|2001 Kingston]]| Team}}
{{MedalGold| [[2004 Women's Pan American Cup|2004 Bridgetown]]| Team}}
{{MedalGold| [[2013 Women's Pan American Cup|2013 Mendoza]]| Team}}
{{MedalCompetition| [[Women's Hockey Junior World Cup|Junior World Cup]]}}
{{MedalBronze| 1997 Seongnam| Team}}
}}

'''Luciana Paula Aymar''' ({{IPA|es|luˈsjana ajˈmaɾ}}; born 10 August 1977) is an Argentine retired field hockey player.<ref name=":0">{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ay/lucha-aymar-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417235235/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ay/lucha-aymar-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-17 |title=Lucha Aymar |access-date=2014-12-05}}</ref>

She is the only player in history to receive the [[FIH Player of the Year Awards|FIH Player of the Year Award]] eight times,<ref name=":1">{{cite news|url=http://www.fih.ch/en/news-4873-amazing-aymar-lands-eighth-fih-player-of |title=Amazing Aymar lands eighth FIH Player of the Year crown |date=2013-12-08 |access-date=2013-12-08 }}</ref> and is considered the best female hockey player of all time.<ref name=":2">{{cite news|url=http://www.canchallena.com/1324170-luciana-aymar-otra-vez-la-reina-del-planeta |title=Luciana Aymar, otra vez la reina del planeta |newspaper=[[La Nación|Cancha Llena]] |language=es |date=2010-11-12 |access-date=2010-11-18 }}</ref><ref name=":3">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/hockey/10858313/Top-10-greatest-field-hockey-players.html?frame=2923042 |title=Top 10 greatest field hockey players |newspaper=[[The Telegraph (U.K.)|The Telegraph]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{cite news |url=http://gohockey.com/feature-luciana-aymarthe-all-time-greatest-womens-hockey-player-closes-the-door-on-her-international-career-with-a-celebrative-high/ |title=Luciana Aymar, the all time greatest hockey player... |language=en |access-date=2015-06-06 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20161226173934/http://gohockey.com/feature-luciana-aymarthe-all-time-greatest-womens-hockey-player-closes-the-door-on-her-international-career-with-a-celebrative-high/ |archive-date=2016-12-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2010 she was granted the Platinum [[Konex Award]] as the best hockey player of the last decade in Argentina.<ref name=":5">{{cite web|url=https://www.fundacionkonex.org/b4244-luciana-aymar |title=Luciana Aymar - Premio Konex de Platino 2010 |language=es |date=2010-11-11|access-date=2010-11-11}}</ref>

Luciana is known for her ability to beat opposing players using her pace and [[dribbling]] skills, drawing comparisons with Argentine [[Association football|footballer]] [[Diego Maradona]]. That is what has earned her the nickname "La Maga" ("The Magician") and "The Maradona of Field Hockey".

Aymar was the [[Flag bearer#Olympic|flag bearer]] for Argentina at the [[2012 Summer Olympics]], becoming the second Argentine field hockey athlete being honoured this way after [[Marcelo Garraffo]].

==Career==
Luciana started playing at age seven for Club Atlético Fisherton in her native [[Rosario]]. She moved to [[Jockey Club de Rosario]] six years later. She gradually began training with the junior national team, for which she had to travel every day to [[Buenos Aires]]. In her international career she played for Rot Weiss Köln from Germany and for Real Club de Barcelona from Spain. In her country, Luciana played for [[Quilmes Atlético Club]] and [[Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires|GEBA]], where she won La Liga Nacional (The National League) and the Torneo Metropolitano. In 1997 she was part of the Argentina junior team that won the [[Pan American Games]] Junior Championship and the bronze medal at the [[Hockey Junior World Cup]] and a year later she made her debut for the [[Argentina national women's field hockey team|Argentina]] senior team, finishing fourth at the [[1998 Women's Hockey World Cup|1998]] Hockey World Cup. She was the youngest Argentine to be accepted into the squad when she was just 16.

Aymar was part of a generation in Argentine field hockey that went on to win several international tournaments from the 1999 Pan American Games onwards, including four Olympic medals, and six [[Champions Trophy (field hockey)|Champions Trophies]]. She was part of the squad that won the [[2002 Women's Hockey World Cup|2002]] and [[2010 Women's Hockey World Cup|2010]] Hockey World Cup, with the latter being held in her hometown Rosario.<ref name=":0" />

She is the only player in history to receive the [[FIH Player of the Year Awards|FIH Player of the Year Award]] eight times,<ref name=":1" /> and is considered as the best female hockey player of all time.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> In 2010 she was granted the Platinum [[Konex Award]] as the best hockey player of the last decade in Argentina.<ref name=":5" />

Luciana is known for her ability to beat opposing players using her pace and [[dribbling]] skills, drawing comparisons with Argentine [[Association football|footballer]] [[Diego Maradona]]. For this reason she has received the nicknames "La Maga" ("The Magician") and "The Maradona of Field Hockey".

Aymar was the [[Flag bearer#Olympic|flag bearer]] for Argentina at the [[2012 Summer Olympics]], becoming the second field hockey athlete being honoured this way after [[Marcelo Garraffo]].

==Personal life==
Aymar was born to René Aymar and Nilda Vicente de Aymar. She has three siblings. Since 2017, Aymar had been in a relationship with former Chilean professional [[tennis]] player [[Fernando González]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Fernando González y Luciana Aymar confirmaron su romance en revista |url=https://www.cooperativa.cl/noticias/entretencion/personajes/fernando-gonzalez-y-luciana-aymar-confirmaron-su-romance-en-revista/2017-07-20/103312.html |website=cooperativa.cl |publisher=Radio Cooperativa |access-date=28 May 2020 |language=es |date=20 July 2017}}</ref> and they have two children: a son born in 2019,<ref>{{cite web |title=Nació Félix, el hijo de Luciana Aymar y Fernando González |url=https://www.infobae.com/deportes/2020/01/04/nacio-felix-el-hijo-de-luciana-aymar-y-fernando-gonzalez/ |website=Infobae |access-date=28 May 2020 |language=es |date=4 January 2020}}</ref> and a daughter born in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |title=Luciana Aymar anuncia el nacimiento de su segundo hijo con Fernando González |url=https://www.emol.com/noticias/Tendencias/2021/09/11/1032356/aymar-gonzalez-segundo-hijo.html |access-date=29 December 2022 |work=[[El Mercurio]] |language=es |date=11 September 2021}}</ref>

==Awards and honours==
[[File:Paseo de los Olímpicos Rosario 2019 56.jpg|thumb|Olympic Walk on [[Pellegrini Avenue (Rosario)|Pellegrini Avenue]] in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina]]
===International===
;Argentina Junior
*Pan American Games: Gold Medal (1997)
*Junior World Cup: Bronze Medal (1997)
;[[Argentina national women's field hockey team|Argentina]]
*[[Hockey at the Pan American Games|Pan American Games]]: Gold Medal ([[Hockey at the 1999 Pan American Games|1999]], [[Hockey at the 2003 Pan American Games|2003]], [[Hockey at the 2007 Pan American Games|2007]]), Silver Medal ([[Hockey at the 2011 Pan American Games|2011]])
*[[Field hockey at the Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics]]: Silver Medal ([[Field hockey at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000]], [[Field hockey at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2012]]), Bronze Medal ([[Field hockey at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004]], [[Field hockey at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008]]).
*[[Champions Trophy (field hockey)|Champions Trophy]]: Gold Medal ([[2001 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2001]], [[2008 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2008]], [[2009 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2009]], [[2010 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2010]], [[2012 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2012]], [[2014 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2014]]), Silver Medal ([[2002 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2002]], [[2007 Women's Champions Trophy (field hockey)|2007]], [[2011 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2011]]), Bronze Medal ([[2004 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy|2004]])
*[[Women's Hockey World Cup|World Cup]]: Gold Medal ([[2002 Women's Hockey World Cup|2002]], [[2010 Women's Hockey World Cup|2010]]), Bronze Medal ([[2006 Women's Hockey World Cup|2006]], [[2014 Women's Hockey World Cup|2014]])

===Club===
;[[Rot-Weiss Köln]]
*European Club Championship: 1998
;[[Real Club de Polo de Barcelona]]
*Copa de la Reina: 2004
;[[Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires|GEBA]]
*Liga Nacional: 2008, 2009
*Torneo Metropolitano: 2008, 2009

===Individual===
*[[Hockey Champions Trophy|Champions Trophy]]'s Player of the Tournament: 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014
*[[FIH Player of the Year Awards|FIH Player of the Year]]: 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013
*[[Women's Hockey World Cup|World Cup]]'s Player of the Tournament: 2002, 2010

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Luciana Aymar}}
* {{sports links}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{succession box|title=[[FIH Player of the Year Awards|FIH Player of the Year]]|before={{flagicon|AUS}} [[Alyson Annan]]|after={{flagicon|ARG}} [[Cecilia Rognoni]]|years=2001}}
{{succession box|title=[[FIH Player of the Year Awards|FIH Player of the Year]]|before={{flagicon|NED}} [[Mijntje Donners]]|after={{flagicon|NED}} [[Minke Booij]]|years=2004–2005}}
{{succession box|title=[[FIH Player of the Year Awards|FIH Player of the Year]]|before={{flagicon|NED}} [[Minke Booij]]|after={{flagicon|NED}} [[Maartje Paumen]]|years=2007–2010}}
{{succession box|title=[[FIH Player of the Year Awards|FIH Player of the Year]]|before={{flagicon|NED}} [[Maartje Paumen]]|after={{flagicon|NED}} [[Ellen Hoog]]|years=2013}}
{{succession box |
 | before = [[Juan Martín del Potro]]
 | after = [[Lionel Messi]]
 | title = ''[[Olimpia Award|Olimpia de Oro]]''
 | years = 2010
|}}
{{s-sports|oly}}
{{succession box
| before = [[Manu Ginóbili]]
| title = [[List of flag bearers for Argentina at the Olympics|Flagbearer]] for {{ARG}}
| years = [[2012 Summer Olympics|London 2012]]
| after = [[Luis Scola]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Navboxes
| title = Luciana Aymer &ndash; International tournaments
| bg        = #75aadb
| fg        = white
| list1 =
{{Argentina FHW Squad 1998 World Cup}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 1999 Champions Trophy}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 1999 Pan American Games}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2000 Champions Trophy}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2000 Summer Olympics}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2001 Pan American Cup}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2001 Champions Trophy}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2002 Champions Trophy}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2002 World Cup}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2003 Pan American Games}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2003 Champions Trophy}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2004 Pan American Cup}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2004 Summer Olympics}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2004 Champions Trophy}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2005 Champions Trophy}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2006 Champions Trophy}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2006 World Cup}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2007 Champions Trophy}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2007 Pan American Games}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2008 Champions Trophy}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2008 Summer Olympics}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2009 Champions Trophy}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2010 Champions Trophy}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2010 World Cup}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2011 Champions Trophy}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2011 Pan American Games}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2012 Champions Trophy}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2012 Summer Olympics}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2013 World League Semifinal}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2013 Pan American Cup}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2013 World League Final}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2014 World Cup}}
{{Argentina FHW Squad 2014 Champions Trophy}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aymar, Luciana}}
[[Category:1977 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century Argentine sportswomen]]
[[Category:21st-century Argentine sportswomen]]
[[Category:Argentine female field hockey players]]
[[Category:Argentine sportspeople of Spanish descent]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 2007 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 2011 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Las Leonas players]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1999 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic field hockey players for Argentina]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Argentina]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Argentina]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in field hockey]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for Argentina]]
[[Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for Argentina]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists in field hockey]]
[[Category:Pan American Games field hockey players for Argentina]]
[[Category:Pan American Games silver medalists in field hockey]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Rosario, Santa Fe]]